What's with the "A day in the life with" content? Videos by content creators documenting their ordinary days have now become a trend on Instagram and TikTok

For some time now, a trend has emerged on Instagram and TikTok that is difficult to understand for those who are not deeply familiar with the languages of social networks, their dynamics, and the trends that define each platform. It consists of content created by creators who share their everyday life, devoid of particularly relevant or spectacular elements: ordinary days, characterized by mundane moments, often shown without any particular narrative intent. At first glance, it’s not an easy format to grasp. Those who regularly use social networks tend to share and consume content that portrays experiences somewhat distant from everyday life — this approach, if you think about it, underpins part of the success of these very platforms. Yet, within this context, there seems to be a growing demand for videos that portray “normal” lives and authentic ones.

For example, the most successful video by content creator Connor Hubbard is titled “A day in the life of a 30-year-old who works 9 to 5.” In just over a minute, it shows some rather mundane moments of his day: from packing his backpack before heading to the office, to a stop at the supermarket, and finally returning home. Despite the apparent simplicity of the content, the video has surpassed 20 million views on Instagram. The clips Hubbard has been sharing for a couple of years have been so successful that they allowed him to quit his job and dedicate himself full-time to creating video content — continuing, however, to depict and “normalize” the life of an ordinary thirty-year-old. The idea behind this format is that the everyday lives of ordinary people often lack proper representation on social media.

Why normal lives go so strong on social media

Over time, this type of content has been grouped under the hashtag #dayinthelife — both on Instagram and TikTok. The success of the format, however, is not limited to the United States. The content creator Massimiliano Morigi, for example, has long been posting videos on Instagram and TikTok designed to “cure FOMO”, the anxiety one feels when it seems like everyone else is constantly doing something more exciting. In his videos, Morigi (who posts under the username @themillennialsbug) shows, for instance, traffic on his way to work, grocery shopping, or evenings spent at home with his wife watching a movie — all accompanied by an ironic voice-over in a thick Roman accent.

Another Italian creator who has gained a lot of popularity with this type of content is Samuele Virzì, who explained in a reel why he tries to “normalize” everyday life on social media: “We are normal people, and we’re happy to be so. We do the groceries and hang the laundry on weekends because there’s little time during the week. We have lunch at home with whatever’s around — which are still always the best dishes. Our fitness isn’t perfect, but we’re working on it, and we still have fun, and we’re happy to be who we are.” Part of the popularity of this content can also be explained by the natural curiosity many have about other people’s lives — even if they’re ordinary. Many, however, are also drawn to the fact that, when watching them, they don’t feel a sense of inferiority — as can often happen on Instagram and TikTok when encountering posts from celebrities or various types of content creators. On the contrary, in #dayinthelife videos, many see (finally?) a reality in which they can fully recognize and identify themselves.

However, the feedback that creators like Hubbard, Morigi, or Virzì receive isn’t always positive. Among the comments, in fact, there are often young users — usually under 25 — who describe their lifestyle as depressing and monotonous, accusing them of lacking ambition. Some even mock them for working as employees, claiming that — if they followed the advice of self-proclaimed gurus — they could become much richer. The #dayinthelife videos, however, were born precisely to overturn this perspective: they aim to show that one can be happy with a normal job and an ordinary routine — and that a simple everyday life is not necessarily synonymous with dissatisfaction.