Social Media Humor and Loneliness during COVID-19 Quarantine: Experiences of Asian Students in Japan
| dc.contributor.author | Serdaly D. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-04-14T05:59:33Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-04-14T05:59:33Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The COVID-19 pandemic radically disrupted social life, intensifying experiences of loneliness for many university students. This qualitative study examines how Asian students studying at Japanese universities experienced loneliness during the pandemic, and how humorous content on social media supported their emotional coping. Drawing on a narrative approach and semi-structured interviews, this study included in-depth interviews with five students from Japan, India, the Philippines, Turkey, and Kazakhstan who were enrolled in Japanese universities between March and December 2020. Timelines of “a typical day in quarantine” and narrative sketches were developed for each participant, focusing on their everyday rhythms, social ties, and media practices. The findings show that loneliness emerged not only from physical isolation and closed borders, but also from disrupted routines, cancelled rituals, and uncertainty about the future. Participants turned to familiar humorous series, memes, and short videos as a way to “escape,” feel “lighter,” and maintain mediated togetherness with distant friends and family. Humor on social media did not remove loneliness, but helped participants reframe it, soften emotional overload, and sustain a sense of shared experience across distance. The article argues that social media humor can act as a form of affective companionship and low-threshold emotional support for international and domestic students in times of crisis. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Serdaly D / Social Media Humor and Loneliness during COVID-19 Quarantine: Experiences of Asian Students in Japan / SDU University / SDU Journal of Media Studies 2026/1 (4) | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://repository.sdu.edu.kz/handle/123456789/2621 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | SDU University | |
| dc.subject | COVID-19 | |
| dc.subject | loneliness | |
| dc.subject | social media | |
| dc.subject | Asian students | |
| dc.title | Social Media Humor and Loneliness during COVID-19 Quarantine: Experiences of Asian Students in Japan | |
| dc.type | Article |