The collective commiseration of graduate students suffering through thesis and dissertation writing, bonding over shared misery.
Shared Suffering
Thesis and dissertation writing is notoriously isolating and painful. Around 2013-2015, grad students began using #ThesisWriting and #DissertationLife to share struggles: writer’s block, imposter syndrome, advisor conflicts, formatting nightmares, and existential crises. The hashtags created community in isolation.
Gallows Humor
Tweets ranged from dark humor (“my thesis is garbage and I want to die”) to practical advice (reference managers, writing schedules) to celebration (defending, submitting final drafts). The community validated struggles—everyone felt inadequate, everyone procrastinated, everyone questioned life choices. Knowing others suffered too helped.
Academic Mental Health
The hashtags highlighted academia’s mental health crisis. Multiple studies showed 30-50% of PhD students experienced depression or anxiety. The pressure to produce original research, survive on poverty wages, and face bleak job markets created perfect storm. #ThesisWriting conversations pushed universities to acknowledge and address student mental health.
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