"DARK ACADEMIA" if you have heard of it before, you probably can imagine things in all shades of brown, castles, oak wood floors, leather-bound books, tweed jackets and of course whiskey, but that would make "The Peaky Blinders" dark academics too. And, If you have heard it for the first time, it surely is a very intimidating topic to learn about. My acquaintance with Dark Academia is fairly recent, but will it stop me from writing about it like a professional? Well, Dark Academics will be disappointed if I don't.
What is Dark Academia?
To be honest, no one knows. Dark Academia is not one ideology that the academics follow, nor is it the group of like-minded people who occasionally gather to discuss stuff. Dark Academia is an academic aesthetic that revolves around classic literature, the pursuit of self-discovery and a general passion for knowledge and learning. This, again, is a debatable definition. But it more or less gives the essence.
Now, How do you know a person is a Dark Academic?
There are a few particular traits that are characteristic of Dark Academics. A person who reflects nobility, a zeal for knowledge and perfectionism is a Dark Academic. But it's not as simple as that, Dark Academics are passionate about very particular subjects and in most cases, these subjects are pretty unusual. You can find people learning Latin, rhetoric and the classics, which are considered dead nowadays. But what is at the core of Dark Academics is Romantisisng education and moments in life. Apart from this, you will notice that they are extremely pretentious in the way they dress or conduct themselves around others. Although most of them are introverts, they still like impressing others a lot. This stems from the fact that they are perfectionists and consider themselves to be superior. But all this has some inferiority complex near the roots. You see, the inferiority complex makes you pretentious and then when others can't appreciate your passion, you end up considering yourself as superior to others.
Next, talking about the origins of Dark Academia.
Dark Academia is not something new. It is a continuation of different pre-existing aesthetics and has been influenced by classic literature and mannerisms of the upper class. If you observe, Dark Academics share a eurocentric vibe, being influenced by the nobles of the romantic era like Lord Byron, Percy Shelly and Edmund Burke.
The internet Tags of Dark Academia seem to have originated from the fan page of the book "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt. Students who study Greek under an unorthodox professor. Students who are passionate about what they learn and romanticise education. Students who wear starched shirts and ironed suits to class. These are some of the things reflected in "the secret history". The modern-day Dark Academics like to call themselves "Born in the 2000s with a soul of the 1800s".
But, Why the word "Dark"?
Dark Academia has been often criticised for promoting unhealthy behaviour among individuals. Stress and procrastination related to education, depression and its symptoms, unhealthy sleep habits, including both under and oversleeping, and excessive consumption of coffee, are frequently referenced and discussed in dark academic communities. The fact that academics not just suffer from these but glorify and romanticise them is of utmost concern.
Due to its origin, Dark academia focuses predominantly on languages, literature, architecture, art, poetry and fashion originating from Western Europe and has been consequently criticized as Eurocentric. Many dark academics have rejected an exclusionary interpretation of dark academia and encouraged academics to include non-Western languages, literature, architecture, and clothing in their conceptions and use of the aesthetic. But still, the class divide is predominant. The superiority complex is still there. The lack of social interaction is there too.
Thus, you can refer to Dark Academia as champagne, which is harmful to your body but gives you pleasure.
Well, this is a concise brief about what Dark Academia is and what it does. To learn more, you can obviously refer to related literature, follow Instagram pages and follow the tag on Tumblr