Drabble on Dark Academia

With the recent fascination of it fluttering around TikTok, and the steady increase of interest in dark, brooding libraries and neutral colour palettes, dark academia has taken the internet by storm. Being pretty in love with the aesthetic myself, it’s pretty normal for my Instagram explore page to be dotted with plaid outfit co-ords or video essays breaking down the craze on my YouTube recommended, such as one video by R.C. Waldun that started this whole deep dive.

Picture this ...

For the most part, dark academia is what it says on the tin, a moody aesthetic based around literature. Let’s set the scene. Personally, this is what comes to mind:

Rain-stained windows of a study tucked away in a tower turret, with condensation beginning to form due to the constant gloomy downpour. The fireplace has been burning all day, but it’s always nearly perishing - the occupant constantly has their nose in a book, only jumping up to add wood when the warm light fades. They would adjust their glasses (eyesight not getting any better due to the scarce use of candlelight and working through the night) and carelessly poke around at the fire, taking this moment to sip some lukewarm coffee from the mantelpiece, one of many forgotten mugs scattered around the room.

The character often associated with dark academia is obsessed with learning (they definitely have main character energy); having a bank of knowledge may be their key, most cherished skill. This knowledge may solely be of the classics, however, can stretch to other subjects and cultures. Knowledge is power, but it comes with its caveats, for instance constant learning may lead to a pessimistic and existential view of the outside world. Maybe being cooped up in a library, away from the world their books are based on, helps soften that edge? It would simultaneously set the view in stone though, being the perfect ecosystem for rumination.

Learning is strongly associated with education and social class, which I feel is important to mention when looking into dark academia. The general feel of this aesthetic is often a reproduction of aesthetics of the higher class and private education (Fandom, 2020), for example having a study isn’t really a top priority in your average two-bed home, is it? Let alone in a somewhat affordable rented apartment in London. Possibly by recognising the difference in lifestyle between a prestigious make-believe academic compared to an average university student we can address the issue at hand: we love this aesthetic because we provides us with the stability and comfort in academics which we wish we had. No stress, no deadlines, no loans, just the simple pleasures of reading.

Speaking of university student woes, obsessing over reading lists and over-working to prove academic ability is the (dark) academic reality many of us have to face to certain extents, and it's problematic in many ways. Firstly, it comes with a certain level of privilege, being able to dedicate a portion of your life’s work to reading and research, which can perhaps be portrayed in the ability to fund and be accepted on to a doctorate. Implicitly, this is linked to elitist institutions, such as Oxbridge universities who are undeniably at the top of a classist education system. Over-working is also often romanticised, we all know someone who loves to boast about doing all-nighters to meet an essay deadline, but we shouldn’t need to feel this way. Fuck capitalism for creating this standard, huh? In practicality, over-working yourself to the point of not getting sleep is counterproductive and can be detrimental to your health, in ways you may not even notice until you get out of the slump. The relationship between classism and elitism explain why dark academia is, in a broad sense, Eurocentric. It often heavily features white protagonists, especially white men, who are often shown to be at the forefront of academic research due to access and opportunity, in western countries. However with this being said, the essence of dark academia is malleable. As education is becoming more inclusive across communities, with equal opportunities for disadvantaged groups of people, such as those with disabilities or those with immigrant backgrounds to name a couple. Education, especially higher education, is more diverse than we assume, with more women supported in STEM careers; queer literature being brought into curriculums; black and brown researchers continuously dealing with and breaking through institutional racism and leading conversations in research right now. They’ve always been there, we just need to look for them!

Before concluding, it’s worth noting that Pinterest did some research into aesthetics and generational interest, which isn’t surprising since they are easily a wholesome part of the internet that allow us to live out our fantasies, whether that’s planning a rustic forest wedding or remodelling an ivy-covered mansion in the middle of Italy, that you’ll probably never see in real life. This wouldn’t be a mini essay without some research, right? They found that gen-Z have had an increasing interest in aesthetics since June 2017, especially in art and grunge. This is said to be due to the fluid individuality adopted by the majority of gen-Z. They were also 7 times more likely to save to writing mood boards than millennials, compared to art, grunge or witch aesthetics. Statistics are even showing gen-Z’s obsession with dark academia, as a subgroup of writing, if you didn’t already believe the surge through TikTok, a social media app carried by gen-Z and millennials. These generations span adolescence and young adulthood, which are both times of exploration and identity searching. Novelty floods these years, everything is so new and shiny, and to top it off stressful, so immersing oneself in aesthetics seems like the perfect way to 'find yourself' while having fun doing it.

All in all, in some ways knowledge is power, and others, ignorance is bliss. Being a part of a generation obsessed with learning, who are at an age of creating a sense of identity, it’s not surprising to see a hype around dark academia. Even though a lot of the curiosity seems to be around fashion and lifestyle, what’s the harm in romanticising the small things? Romanticise your life! Enjoy aesthetics! Make mood boards! Right? I don’t think anyone, especially this generation, need to be told to make something their own. Aesthetics, especially the one in question, are yours to feel seen and represented by. Read what you love, dress in all the plaid you can get ahold of (or don't), and look out the window broodingly all you like while your specially curated rain playlist plays. It's the little things.