Tumblr, one of the more “alternative” social media platforms, is ruled by trends: blogs dedicated to shows like Doctor Who or “fitblrs” focused on fitness tips. One of the largest growing platforms, dominated by young girls ranging from high school students to des étudiantes (as it’s an international trend) is #studyblr: a portmanteau of the verb “study” and “Tumblr,” the name of the website.

The Tumblr blogs, dedicated to studying and academic achievement, features aesthetic photos of notes, pens, and coffee; masterposts of study tips and college advice; and downloadable templates of made by bloggers themselves.

The studyblrs, which include appblrs, focused on college applications, and specific blogs about certain fields of studies, like lawblrs or medblrs, have elicited a wide range of reactions and opinions.

The Verge acknowledged that “It’s nice that these far-flung teens want to teach each other how to make Cornell-style notes and anti-procrastination playlists, but students swapping study tips is nothing new,” deeming studyblr as an unoriginal trend, with seemingly no logical explanation for its popularity.

Additionally, some people think that studyblrs are counterproductive: the majority of people who view the blogs and read the tips aren’t actually doing anything— they’re just idly scrolling through social media. The Beckman Chronicle’s Victoria Choi writes, “creating followable and likable content to post onto one’s studyblr may not help with getting better grades or becoming smarter.”

Other bloggers and students swear by it though. The Daily Bruin, run by UCLA, for example, wrote about how a “Biochemistry student uses Tumblr to share advice, UCLA experiences.”

While the usefulness and practicality of a studyblr is largely dependent on the person, the main conclusion is that, like all other social media, it can be helpful and motivating in moderation. Excess use, however, will more than likely lead to a decrease in productivity.

Carina Wang, Editor-In-Chief of Horizons

Senior Carina Wang is the Editor-in-Chief of Horizons. In school, she can be found participating in PALESTRA, taking yearbook pictures, and/or going through iPhone withdrawal. She loves peace, Starbucks, Pinterest, and her own Tumblr blog. Her top two aspirations in life are to top 10,000 followers (on the aforementioned Tumblr blog) and to go to NYU. Her favorite author is JK Rowling, and that’s not “boring” or “lame,” @Nathan McCracken.