Dark academia

Jacqueline Kipping

Imagine that you’re studying Classics at an Ivy League college in the 1940s, surrounded by dusty books, candles, and a cup of black coffee. You’ve been up all night writing poetry and translating Ancient Greek by candlelight. This is the Dark Academia aesthetic.

Dark Academia is an aesthetic and subculture that became very popular during the COVID-19 lockdowns, especially among students who were stuck studying in their rooms. It emphasizes academia at elite universities, European history and art, classics, gothic literature, and men’s fashion of the 1930s and 40s. Novels associated with this aesthetic include

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Frankenstein, and The Secret History. Despite its massive popularity on

social media, it has recently been receiving more and more criticism.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is credited with starting the aesthetic. The novel is centered around Clas-

sics students at an elite American university who murder their friend in a drunken frenzy. While this aesthetic was first relatively small and unheard of, its popularity grew during the pandemic, as it forced most students to study at home. Eventually, it grew from a niche aesthetic into a full-blown subculture. The romanticization of studying and reading, and the fairly accessible aesthetic, gave it an obvious appeal during this time. It also draws on nostalgia for a romanticized past of writing letters by hand, learning without any outside pressure, and reading by candlelight.

Dark Academia has received valid criticism for its Eurocentrism and elitism. Despite having a very diverse following, Dark Academia emphasizes European literature and art, while largely ignoring non-Western culture. It also glorifies elite, private universities that have historically excluded minorities and often even supported scientific racism. Much of the literature associated with this aesthetic glorifies smoking, excessive drinking, sleep deprivation, and caffeine addiction. Many Dark Academics are teenagers, and it is important that they do not develop harmful habits because of an aesthetic. While substance abuse is not widespread among its followers, a social media search will quickly find over-the-top morning and night routines that emphasize getting up extremely early and studying every moment of the night and day with as little sleep as possible.

Of course, this aesthetic is in the hands of the people who participate in it. It is important that people on social media start to highlight more diverse culture. This is already happening in some spaces although there is still an overwhelming emphasis on European literature and culture. Ultimately, it will become whatever people make it. It provided people with a nostalgic escape during the lockdowns, but it may fizzle out soon now that most lockdowns are over.