Who would’ve thought that social media would one day unite in support of school? From tips to surviving school and life to aesthetically pleasing pictures that somehow motivate you to study, the studyblr community is incredibly versatile. But what is Studyblr? Studyblr is an online educational community on tumblr for high schoolers, college students and graduates alike. The community is mostly college students but you can find others. There are accounts dedicated to the sciences or mathematics or even languages.

Supporting an entire community of learners, Studyblr is stocked with benefits. With the versatility, people can find tips for whatever they may need. For example, you can find masterposts for resources to learn Tagalog, an Austronesian language in the Philippines, if you desired.  There are tips on how to survive college or effectively studying or even living on your own. However, “at it’s core I think it’s a place to come for support, motivation, and ideas,” says Abby, commonly known as universi-tea in the studyblr community. The posts inspire community members to do their best in school and to put energy into their work. The organization and studying tactics can be mirrored by followers or lurkers alike. The aesthetically pleasing pictures inspires people to want to try their hand at it.

However, as lovely as the pictures are, they also take away from the point of Studyblr. Some Studyblrs may be attracted to the careful layouts and multi-colored notes, but they fail to notice the purpose behind Studyblr. “You see a whole lot of pretty notes and happy stories, and there’s basically no representation of the messier parts of school — the parts where you’re left studying at two in the morning, surrounded by junk food and messy notes,” states Abby. The problem with this is that they place unrealistic expectations on younger kids. Young members seeing these pictures will hold themselves to higher standards and become depressed when they fail to meet their high expectations. Not to mention that the community also hyper focuses on school, ignoring the idea of simply enjoying life and spending time with friends and family sometimes. Additionally, the community has shamed people who go to community college or take a gap year in the past. Members are trying to decrease this problem but the issue still remains.

In response to the issues in the studyblr community, Tumblr members universi-tea and piratestudy devised a new tag, #studyblrs get real. The tag is for Studyblr members to post their not so pretty pictures and reveal another side to their Studyblrs. People can post messy, coffee spill covered notes without judgement. They can tell stories of when they were less than exceptional and just human, from failing tests they studied hard on or sleeping in and missing finals. That isn’t to say people can’t still post pictures of their beautiful notes. The tag is there to be free of all judgement. Whatever people want to post, they’ll be able to post.

The Studyblr community stands out as a beacon of inspiration considering the community shares a platform with a website known for memes and social justice fights. The Studyblr community continues to encourage young students to do their best, even though they’re intentions don’t always follow through