“How to give your home: Dark Academia vibes” reads the title of a popular YouTube video targeted at homeowners fascinated by the aesthetics relating to liberal education and the arts. A subculture born in the age of social media, Dark Academia is one of many internet aesthetics that have gained prevalence in the last decade. Image-based platforms like Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok have amplified internet aesthetics, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media allows users to support and create their own trends that rapidly amass a following. Today, the creation of aesthetic trends lies in the hands of the general public and will dictate the way interior design trends develop.
Aesthetic Trends
In interior design, trends define the styling, colors, materials, and shapes that guide the vision for a project. Trends arise out of popularity, widespread adoption, and a supportive community that follows them. On the internet, the terms “viral” and “trend” seem to be used interchangeably although they are not the same. Trends are generally longer-lasting and exist along with one or two other competing trends. Viral fads, on the other hand, are often fleeting and are supported by the fast fashion and design industry. Present-day Internet aesthetics consist of both, gathering enthusiasts into tight-knit online communities.
