Anindya Widita, B.A., M.A

Have you heard of Studyblr/Studygram? If not, you could have seen some of its contents posted in social media. The community was originated from Tumblr, a microblogging site, from a simple text post about study tips and motivation. It then gained interest and grew bigger as a community, branching out to other social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube.

Starting out as a simple text post about a Microsoft Word tips and motivational quote for students (Linder & Brennan, quoted in Tiffany, 2017), Studyblr and Studygram content these days is no longer of text only but also includes neat photograph of mainly various studying related objects. Sometimes it is also composed of variety of lifestyle objects such as headphone, cup/tumblr, and other stuff, so long as it fits the ‘aesthetic’. Moreover, the content has expanded to not exclusively talk about basic study tips but also includes productivity, lifestyle, and even mental health posts. This community, whose creators seem to be mostly students (high school and college age) is known as study bloggers and depending on where their main blog is, identify themselves as Studyblr or Studygram.

(Studygram feeds / @tbhstudying & @focusign)

If you take a look at one or two accounts, generally you will be able to pinpoint a common visual theme of its overall content. The picture or photo included usually was taken in flat lay style, top to bottom angle, with the objects laid neatly and organized in a way that looks as natural as possible (and yes, that sometimes means looking ‘messy’ in an organized way). The photos generally display what is normally called (among its own community), aesthetic with its soft, pastel colors or just several colors coordinated in a way that is pleasing to look at.  While It is unclear as to who or how it was originally formed, many has followed and accepted the style as an aesthetic for these Studyblr or Studygram posts.

Having said that, of course, there is no specific set of rules guiding how Studyblr or Studygram accounts should post, and such example above is only one version of content most commonly posted. If you care to browse and look around, there are many more variations of how they posted their content. Some feeds also include daily activities outside of studying, such as traveling or hanging out in a nice-looking café. Note-taking and journaling, however, are probably the most common content types found in the community members.

(Studyblr feed / @starrystvdy)

Throughout the year, the community has now grown into another realm which is followed by young generations who strive for productivity and social media presence. Today, if managed carefully and consistently, it can be a platform for the youth to develop their own personal brand in their own way through their own content based on their daily activities, sparkled with their own taste of aesthetic.

References:

Judy Marie [@focusign]. (2019). Instagram posts. https://www.instagram.com/focusign/

Seo [@tbhstudying]. (2019). Instagram posts. https://www.instagram.com/tbhstudying/

Tabby [@starrystvdy]. (2020). Tumblr Post. https://starrystvdy.tumblr.com/

Tiffany, K. (2017, May 9). Welcome to Studyblr: A Beautiful, Stressful Wonderland. https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/9/15260026/tumblr-study-blogging-studyblr-organization-interview.