Well cool, the internet just keeps getting worse! In one corner, you have lil’ stinker Musk limiting how many Tweets you can see in a day. In another corner, you have Reddit blocking third-party apps from the site. In either corner, you have people protesting these changes by jumping ship to entirely new apps or boycotting their site of preference (with increasingly creative methods).
Yet even with these decisive actions, one thing remains a constant: in times of crisis, everyone keeps a-crawlin’ back to Tumblr Dot Com.
Listen. I’ve written about Tumblr before. I won’t hide that I unapologetically grift for this website, despite its storied history. Tumblr is a mess of broken social norms and skrunkly mcturgl humor. It has gone through multiple poor UI changes and has cost its investors thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Yet it’s exactly this nature of chaos, anarchy, and piss-n-grit sensibilities that make it the website I love to call home.
The funny thing is, it hasn’t even been a year since our last influx of new users from other social media sites. Back then, Tumblr reacted with a “raise the rent” mentality by trying to act doubly belligerently. This is because they didn’t trust Twitter users, for the same reasons Twitter users don’t trust other Twitter users.
However, for some reason, Tumblr is a little softer towards Redditors. I’ve seen multiple posts of this particular nature, treating Reddit users like stray pets:
Of course, it probably helps that Reddit users are generally more open in their new experiences, at least compared to how Twitter users have been in the past:
As a result, the attitude towards this most recent influx has been less antagonistic overall. I’d say users are even trying their best to be downright helpful.
However, Tumblr continues to be Tumblr, so don’t expect open arms and a kiss on the cheek from everyone. I’d say it’s safer to expect a homecooked dinner where someone might pull the chair out from under you if they’re in “one of their moods” again. Which they probably will be.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Yes, by all means, try one-to-one alternatives to Twitter and Reddit, but it’s pretty cozy over here in hell too. Nobody tries to sell you anything on Tumblr. Influencers actively get clowned off of Tumblr. You tailor your own experience, and in a time when everyone’s either trying to sell you something or convince you of something, it’s a relief to just kick back and scroll through a hole of your own making. Yes, I do want to read sincere poetry quotes mixed in with nonsensical horse girl memes, and you wanna know why? Because that’s my God-given right as a human being, and it’s your right, too.
Happy scrolling, everyone. Do the right thing.
Plus, Ethel Cain is on here. Don’t you wanna blog out with Ethel Cain? I know I do.
(featured image: 20th Century Studios)
