Nobody studies like that! I think to myself.
The “Study With Me” streamer has arranged her notes, books and laptop in a line. Candles are burning on her desk. Fairy lights and plants frame her window, which looks out to a Glasgow neighborhood. It feels strange to look at a window through a screen.
Seeing her put-togetherness, I become aware of the mess on my desk. I straighten my pens and align my sketchbook with my laptop. It’s as if my session is also being watched by 1.1K people!
Onscreen, hands reach out and type something. Hands are all I see of Merve; she flips through her notes and stops at a page, before typing again. How soothing it is to hear these noises! The noises of productivity. I want to make them too! I grab my sketchbook and flip the pages. I savor the crinkling sounds and the feel of the heavy paper. I grab a pen and let my ideas flow on the page.
Her timer becomes mine: it’s 19:34 to our 10-minute break. I want to stop but…as long as she’s on her desk, so will I! I organize my notes instead. I look at the Live Chat. Now, we are 1,334 people studying together! Participants talk about two things: studying and Korea. “Good luck” and “Keep studying” appear alongside K-Pop chatter: “Who’s your bias*?” asked one, “Jimin**!” replied another. People continued chatting about Jimin and Korea. One person reminds, “K guys, later. Study now.”
Notes
*bias: a fan’s favorite member within a Korean idol group (a Korean-Pop term)
**Jimin, a member of the Korean idol group BTS
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