Tumblr is a microblogging platform that allows users to post multimedia and other content to a short-form blog. Users can follow other users' blogs, as well as make their blogs private. Tumblr is a place where bloggers regularly share the content and re-post it, so content can easily circulate across the site and be seen by friends, family, or even perfect strangers.

 

Why do kids love Tumblr?

 

  Identity – They use it like an online scrapbook or diary, where the pictures, songs and text that they post build a picture of who they are (or a persona they aspire to). It is, for them, a place of self-expression and one where they feel they can ‘be themselves’.

 

Anonymity – Most blog owners use fictitious names which they can change easily. This gives a high degree of anonymity, and some teenage Tumblr sites feature very personal material. The anonymous option is also popular when using the ‘Ask’ feature, which allows them to ask questions of other users without revealing their identity.

 

Social – Despite the anonymity offered, teens follow their friends’ blogs and are generally known to each other. They are also part of a wider online community and enjoy the variety in the blogs and posts of people they don’t know. There’s a voyeuristic appeal in looking in the window of other people’s lives – especially as a lot of the posting is of a very personal nature.

 

What parents need to know…

 

Identity – The identity your teenage child builds on Tumblr may be very different to the kid you know. So far Tumblr seems to be a parent-free zone, unlike Facebook which is more widely used by all ages and extended family members.

 

Anonymity – It’s not great not knowing the nature of the content your child is posting to peers and the greater Tumblr community. The anonymous Ask feature provides opportunities for flaming, bullying, and sexual provocation and innuendo.

 

Social – Unlike Facebook where a ‘Friend’ request needs to be accepted, there is no control over who follows you (or who you follow). This means teenage Tumblr sites may be followed by anyone, of any age and with any motivation. The personal and unmonitored nature of the material they are posting is viewable by anyone with an account. Your teenager will have access to a lot of inappropriate material.

 

Sexually Explicit Content – Although Tumblr has a policy against posting sexually explicit content, pornographic images and videos continue to be posted on the microblogging platform.