The JGM BitBlog: How Gen Z Expatriates Are Turning to Social Media for Survival and Support.
Hoai Lan Duong, FPT University, Danang, Viet Nam
Thi Kim Oanh Vo, FPT University, Danang, Viet Nam
Minh Tung Tran, FPT University, Danang, Viet Nam
Thi Kim Cuc Tran, FPT University, Danang, Viet Nam
Moving abroad has always been exciting but also lonely, disorienting, and stressful. For Generation Z expatriates, these challenges come with a digital twist: their support systems don't always live in the same country, but they do live online. Our recent study explores how social media, especially TikTok, is quietly transforming the way.
What we found may surprise some: social media isn't making these young expats lonelier, it's doing the opposite. Through semi-structured interviews with 26 Vietnamese Gen Z expatriates across countries like the UK, Australia, Japan, and the US, we discovered that platforms like TikTok help them cope with homesickness, build community, and challenge stereotypes about host cultures.
Two key forces are at play here: bonding and bridging social capital.
- Bonding capital helps these expats maintain emotional closeness with family and friends back home. Sharing TikTok videos from abroad often leads to comments like "It feels like we're there with you," giving expatriates a virtual sense of home.
- Bridging capital emerges when they connect with locals or other expats in their host country. From learning how to ride the London Underground to discovering new food cultures, TikTok becomes an interactive guidebook and a source of comfort.
Even more powerfully, social media lets Gen Zers reframe their unique journeys as something to be proud of. Their digital storytelling allows them to receive validation, give advice, and gain confidence, turning individual hardship into shared insight.
As global mobility becomes increasingly digital, organizations and support networks must rethink how they prepare and assist young expatriates. For Gen Z, support doesn't always come in the form of in-person meetings or relocation packages. Sometimes, it comes as a comment, a like, or a DM from someone who understands.
For Gen Z abroad, TikTok isn't just entertainment. It's emotional infrastructure.
To read the full article, please see the Journal of Global Mobility publication:
Duong, H.L., Vo, T.K.O., Tran, M.T. and Tran, T.K.C. (2025), "Social media's role in enhancing psychological well-being of Generation Z expatriates", Journal of Global Mobility, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 32-58. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGM-03-2024-0017
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Professor Jan Selmer, Ph.D.
Founding Editor-in-Chief
Journal of Global Mobility (JGM)
Department of Management, Aarhus University
E-mail:
selmer@mgmt.au.dkTwitter: @JanSelmer_JGM
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