Opinion: If you’re looking for an alternative to Twitter, Tumblr may be your new social media home.
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Since its creation in 2006, Twitter has been a beloved social media site for millions of users. Now that it’s been bought by Elon Musk, however, some users are looking to jump ship. One site people have begun to return to is Tumblr, a blogging platform from 2007. Tumblr had a sharp decrease in usership when Automattic took ownership and banned adult content, but devoted subcultures of fandoms, politics and memes has kept Tumblr alive. Now that nudity has been allowed once again, people are wondering: Is Tumblr a good replacement for Twitter?
As a seasoned Tumblr user myself, I can vouch for its value. Not only can it improve your time on the internet, but it may improve the internet as a whole if used correctly.
If you’re a new user to Tumblr, you may find it’s not that different from the social media sites you’re used to. There’s a “For You” page, recommended posts on your main dashboard and the ability to follow tags you want to see more of. What makes Tumblr better, though, is the ability to turn most of these features off. You can display your main dashboard in chronological order, showcasing only people you follow (and the occasional ad). An app with no algorithms is what Tumblr used to be, so most users turn off any algorithmic features they can to take matters into their own hands. You decide what you see, not a computer.
A lack of algorithmic functions continues with how posts spread throughout Tumblr. While there is the option to “blaze” a post, sending it off to random people’s dashboards, this feature costs money and does not guarantee the post will receive attention. Likes, too, only provide a personal archive of posts you like and send a notification to the original poster. Instead, the way to spread a post around is to reblog it. Similar to retweeting, reblogging places the post on your account for your own followers to see, and comments are optional. Unlike retweeting, this is the only surefire way a post can get popular.
This is why Tumblr is important. While not entirely decentralized, the site functions similarly to a democracy. It is what social media should be — and could be if we band together to make it happen. When Tumblr is used correctly, it tells companies that we want an internet without algorithms, without invasive advertising and without corporate greed.
Did I mention that you can buy an infinite number of checkmarks, just for fun?
