by Alicia Ptak
Post. Favorite. Reblog. Post. Favorite. Reblog. This has become the daily ritual for over 28 million people thanks to David Karp’s creation, Tumblr. Tumblr, a blogging platform that allows users to post text, pictures, videos, gifs, quotes, links, and audio, has exploded in popularity across the world. Available in both app and website form, Tumblr has become readily available for users.
Bloggers have the ability to follow blogs that appeal to them. When a blog is followed, that blog’s content appears on your “dashboard,” which is an endless amount of different posts. Along with the ability to make their own posts, bloggers can use their “dash” to reblog content and favorite posts. When a user reblogs something, it appears on their blog, and when they favorite a post, it goes to their blog as well as a separate section of all favorited items so that users can easily access their favorite material.
Tumblr has become a way for people of all ages to connect to others across the globe while simultaneously providing a way for users to get closer to the things they enjoy. Many bloggers have used Tumblr as a way to express themselves through personalizing their blog and sharing information, pictures, and videos about their lives.
It has also been used as a news source. Tumblr users, especially bloggers dedicated to posting about celebrities or bands, have become information resources. Dedicated blogs are often news sources for their followers, constantly updating them with the latest news of their blog’s focus. Tumblr’s many purposes have catered to the different desires of its users, making it very popular.
Junior Monica Swanton, whose blog nerdquirks.tumblr.com has reached roughly 22,000 followers, uses Tumblr as a personal creative outlet. Swanton created her Tumblr after a friend introduced her to the site in seventh grade.
Tumblr morphed from a creative outlet into something much bigger for Swanton. “The more I began to notice the network of bloggers on Tumblr and the ways they stayed connected,” Swanton says, “the more I realized its potential for sharing ideas, thoughts, beliefs, etc.”
Swanton’s blog focuses on “encouraging self-proclaimed nerds to embrace their interests” and to “break down the stereotypes about nerds in general.” Her blog became dedicated to this theme after watching a TV show portraying the stereotype of a nerd who could never get a date to the dance.
“I was really kind of struck by the kinds of stereotypes that were placed on this kid just because he was academically advanced: he’s unpopular, socially awkward, not very relatable, and has no life outside of his school work,” explains Swanton. “Not to mention the way he was dressed and the way he carried himself, kind of cowering away from others, hunched over.
It frustrated me a bit, the way they were portraying this character, and I thought of any kids watching at home that may have felt connected to this character and wondered if they realized the negative implications that went along with his ‘nerd’ persona.”
Swanton’s blog is one of many trying to achieve something good. For many, Tumblr has become more than just a blogging site. It’s a place to connect with others, reveal your true self, to express your ideas, to be creative, and even achieve something positive.
