Purpose This study aims to explore the stress experienced by doctoral students through the analysis of memes from a Facebook fan page. By identifying key themes within these memes, the research seeks to provide insights into the common stress faced by graduate students and how they are reflected in popular online content. Design/methodology/approach This study used qualitative content analysis to investigate how doctoral students express stress through internet memes. The data set comprised 98 memes sourced from High Impact PhD Memes on Facebook, focusing on a one-year period (2023). Findings The analysis revealed 12 recurring themes related to the stress experienced by doctoral students: accomplishment, knowledge and experience, economic issues, mental health, obsession, overwork, academic trap, procrastination, publishing process, relationships, reward and uncertainty. These memes reflect the various dimensions of doctoral life, including frustrations with expectations, the academic workload and the publishing process. The study discusses how these memes serve as a form of communication, reflecting the experiences and challenges faced by doctoral students in a humorous and satirical manner. Originality/value This study contributes to the emerging body of literature on memes and humour in doctoral education by examining how doctoral students use internet memes to reflect on their academic experience. By analyzing memes, the study uses a novel lens to understand how students express and share their academic challenges.
Nguyen et al. (Sat,) studied this question.
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