If you ask most Tumblr users what kind of content you’ll come across on the site, you might find yourself appalled at some of the depictions of My Little Pony or curious how an entire social network can be filled with so much adult content. Indeed, it’s easy to get caught up in certain circles and much more difficult to pull yourself away from them. However, one of the strengths of Tumblr is that it’s a social network governed by the users rather than advertisers, and you might be surprised by some of the positives you’ll find on the site.
Community-Driven
Tumblr is full of beacons of light. From Rick Schaden posting about efforts to end homelessness in Denver to licensed counselors who offer suggestions and advice to other Tumblr users struggling in life, you’ll find it all. There’s an especially high amount of advice passed around in regards to safe and healthy sex and relationships. This is beneficial to people who might experience social anxieties, live in negative atmospheres or who otherwise have difficulty connecting with people face to face. Plus, the ability to send anonymous “Asks” to others, which allows people to safely pose questions without revealing their identity.
Artistic Expression
Many users take to Tumblr to show off their latest songs, music video, graphic creation, animation or painting. In fact, the front page of Tumblr often highlights the type of art that can be found on the site. There’s no limited to the medium. In fact, fanfiction and fanart are incredibly common, and these provide aspiring writers and artists with a venue to stretch their boundaries and strengthen their talents.
Sometimes, you’ll even find artists piggy-backing off of others’ creations or group efforts. The sense of community fostered by artists on Tumblr is inspiring, and many of those artists have even used Tumblr as a platform from which to sell their work to become more established artists.
Positive Activism
If you’re happy with the status quo, then Tumblr might not be the place for you. There’s an abnormally high number of activists on the site. This comes in the form of people fighting for equal rights for women, Muslim girls, gay marriage, education and a thousand other causes. Tumblr has been used to raise funds for people who become critically ill or injured, individuals escaping religious persecution and more.
Tumblr’s layout and the lack of groups means it’s better used as a starting point for larger campaigns or simply for personal causes in general. But the amount of compassion that Tumblr users can exhibit to virtual strangers is heart-warming.
Science Ahead
Tumblr has its fair shares of porn blogs, bronies and fangirls, but much of its user base is creative or intelligent. That’s why you’ll see blogs dedicated science and to other worldly pursuits. Tumblr users are often quick to point out how something works or the meaning of something when other users inquire about it, too. For example, you’ll find screencaps of animated GIFs preceding an explanation of how photosynthesis works.
Tumblr is also great for marketers because it’s so easy to share — or reblog — content, and the potential of going viral is great. In fact, many of the notable reblogs and comments on Tumblr turn into screencaps that you’ll find on Facebook.
