What Woman in Antarctica Does for Sunlight Fascinates Internet
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A video offering a rare glimpse into daily life during the polar winter in Antarctica has captivated millions on TikTok, showing how one woman copes with months of total darkness—by visiting a so-called "happy light room" to simulate sunlight.
The video, posted by TikTok user @lil.sarita, has racked up 2.4 million views since it was shared on June 3. Text overlaid on the video reads: "POV [point of view]: You live in Antarctica, haven't seen sunlight in two months. So you walk to the happy light room for the daily dose of 'sunlight.'"
The clip begins with the woman stepping outside in a long winter coat and sandals—with no socks—before trekking through the snow to another building. Once inside, she flicks on the lights to reveal a modest office-style room with a few nature scenes taped to the walls.
"It's winter right now down here," the caption shared with the post explains. "Will experience 24/7 darkness for about two more months!!! I think I'll cry when I see the first sunrise in August. And when I land in NZ after being on ice it'll be that much more good."
Life in Antarctica during mid-winter is defined by its absence of daylight. As the Australian Antarctic Program describes it: "For a few weeks each year the sun fails to rise on the world's most southerly continent. Antarctica in mid-winter is bathed in a dusky half-light or shrouded in darkness, with the sun's orbit ensuring the warming rays no longer reach the icy landmass."
During these months, both humans and wildlife adapt to the prolonged darkness. Emperor penguins remain to incubate eggs, while mosses and lichens endure the freeze until the sun returns, the program notes.
But for humans stationed on the ice, the lack of sunlight can lead to physiological challenges. A January 2009 study published in Osteoporosis International, which monitored 120 expeditioners in Antarctica, found that after six months without sunlight, 85 percent developed vitamin D insufficiency.
The study also observed decreased serum calcium and increased levels of the parathyroid hormone (PTH), which is released by the parathyroid glands to control calcium levels in the blood. Bone loss at the proximal femur, the upper end of the thigh bone that connects to the hip joint, was also observed.
The findings highlight the health risks of prolonged light deprivation and underscore the importance of artificial light therapy in extreme environments.
'Wild'
Viewers on TikTok were intrigued by the woman's life in Antarctica, but underwhelmed by the "happy light room" reveal.
"That's the room??? I would not survive," user maranda commented. The poster replied: "I'll take it!! I go in there all the time."
User steve asked: "So it's just a room with lights?" to which the original poster simply responded: "Yeah."
"I was expecting a really cool scientifically advanced room that had a sunlight simulator or something," user @hayyitstiana remarked.
Others chimed in with imagined versions of the room. "I thought the room was going to be full of all kinds of plants with grow lights and maybe a small water feature with happy nature sounds playing... I was VERY mistaken," said midwest_lndigo.
Still, not all viewers were focused on the lighting. Some were stunned by the poster's wardrobe choice—open-toed sandals in Antarctic conditions.
"I'm stuck on the open toed shoes in ANTARCTICA," Clara said.
"Why r u walking about in Antarctica sockless," asked Lunaspina.
"Having your toes out in Antarctica is wild. I'm scared of you," added Kat.
Others questioned the emotional toll of extended darkness. "I'm very curious how long I would last with seasonal depression," wrote user sage. The original poster responded: "Awww noooo, being here is so nice. The community is great!! There's a gym and sauna here! And other social activities."
Despite the disorienting environment, the creator seems to have adjusted. "I don't notice it that much tbh [to be honest]," she wrote in a reply to one comment. "It's normal at this point LOL."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok and email. This video has not been independently verified.
Stock image: A view of the Akademik Vernadsky research base on Galindez Island in Antarctica.
Stock image: A view of the Akademik Vernadsky research base on Galindez Island in Antarctica.
Getty
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