Julia Teeter 11/20/13 Professor Denise Parrillo Tumblr and Community Tenth grade marked the beginning of a major

life change for me homeschooling! "ith my sister going off to college# the rising cost of my $ri%ate school# and a dee$ dislike for the $ublic school system# my family and & found homeschooling to be the best o$tion! 'y $arents# ho(e%er# continued to (ork full time# and my siblings (ere all gro(n u$ and mo%ed out! )nfortunately# as you (ould $robably e*$ect# loneliness became a big $art of my life for most of the remaining years of high school! +ut in ele%enth grade# after (orking for some time# & (as able to buy myself a la$to$! That fall of 200,# & began to dabble in the internet and internet communities! & s$ent considerable amounts of time on -ouTube and T(itter# interacting (ith $eo$le and making friends that & am still in touch (ith today! .%entually# & stumbled across the (ebsite Tumblr# (hich changed and affected me in (ays & ne%er e*$ected! Tumblr# sim$ly $ut# is a mi*ture of a social net(ork and a blogging/microblogging $latform# but for all ty$es of media! Tumblr gi%es you the o$tion to choose your ty$e of $ost / te*t# $hoto# 0uote# link# chat# audio# or %ideo / (hich allo(s for a huge %ariety of $osts! Tumblr has been around for a (hile# but has recently been gro(ing e*$onentially! The recorded number of blogs on Tumblr has gone from o%er 11!2 million on July 30# 2012 3'oran 145 to u$(ards of 14,!3 million today in 6o%ember 2013! 'any users (ould say# though# that Tumblr is so much more than just a blogging $latform! &t encourages originality and interaction# and has formed many di%erse subcultures in today7s society! Tumblr is a good source for social connection because it allo(s e*$ression and e*$osure to others# connects you (ith others that ha%e similar

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interests and $assions# and ultimately creates a uni0ue community and friendshi$s that can bring acce$tance and belonging to an indi%idual! )sing Tumblr is fairly sim$le you can $ost original things# or 8reblog9 others7 $osts to your o(n blog and follo(ers! :eblogging maintains the original source of the content# so if an artist $osts a $hoto of their art# it may garner thousands of 8notes9 3number of times it has been 8liked9 or reblogged5# but a link to the source remains! &n this (ay# artists can retain credit for their (ork! ;igure 1
Figure 1: An example reblog.

sho(s a $iece of art that & reblogged# (ith the original source and te*t# as (ell as my o(n $ersonal tags! Though there are an unfortunate amount of dishonest 8re$osters9# this format hel$s to encourage both artistic integrity 3gi%ing credit (here credit is due5 and originality# so Tumblr is a great $lace for artists# (riters# and creators to share their (ork and encourage e%erybody to do the same! <at# for e*am$le# a Tumblr user from =ustralia# claimed that Tumblr 8ga%e her the ins$iration9 to start dra(ing again# something she had gi%en u$ in the $ast! >he no( has a $lace to share her art and get feedback# (hile gaining fans of her (ork 3including myself?5 and doing something she enjoys!

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&n addition to sharing creati%e content# Tumblr users also share their thoughts and o$inions! &t tends to be a %ery o$inionated $lace# because e%eryone (ith internet access in e%ery $lace# situation# social class# etc!# is gi%en the o$$ortunity to $lace their (ords out in the o$en! "hile this can certainly create a lot of arguments and hostility at times# most $eo$le benefit from seeing many sides of an argument! )sing Tumblr7s o(n messaging system# & had the $leasure of inter%ie(ing si* different users about Tumblr! )$on being asked the general 0uestion# 8"ould you say that being on Tumblr has changed/sha$ed you as a $erson@9# fi%e out of si* s$oke e*tensi%ely on the $ositi%e effects of being e*$osed to others that are different from them! Tilly# a Tumblr user from the )<# said that being on Tumblr has 8(idened my eyes to $otential issues# made me more considerate to other %ie(s# (idened my $ers$ecti%e# AandB made me more understanding in issues raised in my life off the internet and in hel$ing others see things in a different light9! Cynthia from Te*as claimed that# 8&t has o$ened my eyes to ho( many different cultures are trying to coe*ist in this (orld and that if (e demand res$ect# (e must also be (illing to gi%e it!9 6ot only can indi%iduals benefit from e*$ressing themsel%es in (ays they may be hindered from doing in $erson because of $hysical or societal $rejudices# this e*$osure and o$enness is healthy in creating this ty$e of acce$ting and cultured generation! These $atterns (ere e*$lored in an e*$eriment conducted by =! >tornaiuolo# (ho used the idea of 8community9 as defined by JeanCDuc 6ancy to study and e%aluate interaction bet(een middle schoolers (hen $laced together in a social net(ork! 6ancy7s notions im$ly that the real community is found in the s$aces that are shared# and $artici$ation in that community re0uires the admission of 8$lurality and difference9 of others! =ccording to 6ancy7s ideas# 8.ngaging in a community does not then re0uire a commitment to a set of common beliefs but does assume a (illingness to associate (ith others# es$ecially across differences9 3>tornaiuolo

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E15! Therefore# the community formed by Tumblr is definitely not a result of a grou$ of $eo$le in com$lete agreement# but# as (e can learn from this# is the benefit of $artici$ation grounded in res$ect of di%ersity! This res$ect is becoming increasingly im$ortant (ith the connecti%ity of today7s society / the breadth of this social connection (as ne%er fully $ossible before the internet! This sort of freedom of e*$ression is beneficial to both the indi%idual and# conse0uently# society! >o if the $oint of community is connecting di%ersity through shared s$ace# Tumblr does a (onderful job at facilitating these communities! .s$ecially through its tagging system# Tumblr makes it incredibly easy to find and create this shared s$ace! "hate%er art# TF sho(s# (riters# books# mo%ies# religions# or lifestyles you7re into# you can find someone else to connect (ith# sim$ly by searching for it! The biggest e*am$le of this is the 8fandoms9 3fanatic domains5 of %arious TF sho(s or books by (hich a huge $art of Tumblr is occu$ied! =ll of these $eo$le ha%e been brought together by that shared interest and ha%e created a uni0ue culture and community (ithin the (ebsite! Personally# & ha%e a hard time finding friends in 8real life9 (ho are interested in the same things & am# so being able to find $eo$le on Tumblr that are is im$ortant to me! This (as also the e*$erience of most of the $eo$le & inter%ie(ed! Pa%la# a Tumblr user from the CGech :e$ublic# e*$lained her e*$erience before and after finding Tumblr 8&7%e al(ays felt that &7m different! &n things & like# in ho( & feel about myself and the other things! & came here on Tumblr and & realiGed there are so many $eo$le (ho feel the same and are in same situation as & am!9 )$on being able to relate# she found that Tumblr (as a $lace she could belong! This acce$tance is a sentiment shared by many on Tumblr! 'any $eo$le feel that the community and friendshi$s formed through Tumblr ha%e gi%en them an im$ortant sense of belonging# (hether they (ere looking for it or not! = (onderful e*am$le of its $otential is

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demonstrated in =manda# a Tumblr user from Hregon! >he said# 8Tumblr has had a massi%e role in $utting me into a better $lace in life! &t ga%e me a community (here & belonged (hen & (as being socially alienated by an abusi%e $artner and that ultimately ga%e me the strength to lea%e them and take the ste$s & needed to take to make a healthier (orld for myself!9 Communities# e%en %irtual ones# can change li%es! &f (e return to >tornaiuolo7s e*$eriment on middle schoolers# (e find that as the kids began to interact (ith each other online# they (ould 8situate themsel%es in relation to others9! The community they built (ith each other actually brought out more of (ho they (ere indi%idually# (hile also re%ealing ho( that contributed to the (hole! They e%en created their o(n language and jokes# and >tornaiuolo disco%ered that defining these s$aces bet(een them# $artici$ating in them# and identifying (ith them 8built a sense of affiliation and community belonging9 3>tornaiuolo E2CE15! >imilarly# this uni0ue community is $recisely (hat Tumblr has becomeI (e ha%e our o(n humor# our o(n jokes# our o(n language! & can7t te*t just anyone and say# 8tbh & just need a fluffy Dramione =) fic rec# P"P okay# no "&Ps! $ls my ot$ is just so $erfect DH67T TH)CJ '.9# but a lot of Tumblr (ould understand e*actly (hat &7m saying and feeling? Hb%iously the bonds go dee$er than silly things like that# but the use of a common language is something that sets Tumblr users a$art# and (e become a community to identify (ith! Hn a more $ersonal scale# Tumblr can facilitate %ery significant friendshi$s! =ll of the $eo$le & inter%ie(ed re$orted making meaningful friendshi$s# many that ha%e e*tended $ast Tumblr! Josh# a user from &llinois# said# 8&t7s not the same as a faceCtoCface relationshi$# but it is just as satisfying! These relationshi$s ha%e had a %ery $ositi%e affect on my life! Hften times# (hen & am feeling do(n or de$ressed# $eo$le on this site come to hel$ me get through it! & can7t

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tell you ho( many times this has ha$$ened!9 ;riendshi$s made online can certainly be just as im$ortant as 8real life9 ones# and many times# these friends can take the o$$ortunity to actually meet and gro( their friendshi$ in that (ay! >uch is the case for =manda# (ho has been able to meet her t(o best friends that (ere made on Tumblr se%eral times in real life! & myself ha$$ened to make a %ery good friend on Tumblr# only to shockingly find out that she also attends CC:&? These relationshi$s are (hat gi%e us the strongest connection to this community! Hf course# e%en (ith all of these great benefits# Tumblr certainly has its $roblems / e%erything can be fatal in e*cess! .%en & can attest to the addicting 0ualities of Tumblr and ho( it hindered me (hen & already had issues (ith $rocrastination! <at also e*$ressed a concern for its influence in increasing laGiness! &n some cases# certainly# $eo$le7s li%es can get taken o%er (ith obsession# but can (e truly blame Tumblr for this@ Destructi%e $roblems e*ist (ith or (ithout the internet# and# to $ut it $lainly# it is e%eryone7s $ersonal res$onsibility to be responsible. =manda# (hen asked if she thought that Tumblr (as a healthy $lace to find connection# obser%ed that many $eo$le that may actually need $rofessional hel$ are instead turning to Tumblr to console them! This is# of course# not hel$ed by the %ery $re%alent issue of cyber bullying# (hich can be encouraged on Tumblr (ith the o$tion to message anonymously 3though that o$tion can be turned off5! These are all %ery real# serious $roblems# and honestly# & can only argue for the $ositi%ity that & ha%e seen and try to facilitate! Countless times# & ha%e seen $eo$le that (ere harassed (ith hateful messages be immediately flooded (ith su$$ort and encouragement from fello( users 3something & lo%e to do on any occasion / e%erybody deser%es encouragement5! There are also se%eral 8su$$ort blogs9 (here users can anonymously ask for $ersonal ad%ice# and most of the $eo$le running them recommend seeking real hel$ if it is needed!

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>ome may also argue that such an in%estment in the %irtual (orld greatly disconnects one from the 8real (orld9! This is certainly a %alid $oint# but in a study on the societal effects of internet communities# John Jorrigan argues that the internet in general may actually $romote connection (ith your local society (hile also connecting you (ith others (orld(ide# a term he has coined# 8glocaliGation9! Je claims# 8the $rimary dra( to online communities for young $eo$le a$$ears to be hobby grou$sI ho(e%er# a secondary outcome# as young $eo$le surf to other online communities# is to connect many to grou$s that hel$ foster ci%ic engagement9 3Jorrigan5! & (ill not deny that some as$ects of Tumblr 3bullying# $o$ularity# de$endency# addiction# etc!5 can indeed be damaging! & do belie%e# ho(e%er# that (e are all learning# just like e%eryone else in the (orld# and & ha%e faith that the beauty and $ositi%ity & ha%e seen in so many of these $eo$le can out(eigh it and become the norm! The community on Tumblr can be scary and hilarious and ridiculous all at once# but it has the $otential to $roduce the most (onderful future! Through e*$ression# connection# and acce$tance# Tumblr users ha%e created communities that are changing the (ay social connection (orks and is understood on the most fundamental le%els! >im$ly by being o$en# users are connected to more $eo$le in more (ays than e%er $ossible! & lo%e that e%en (ith my tiny number of follo(ers# & belong to this thing so much bigger than myself# and & (ill al(ays a$$reciate ho( it (as there for me (hen & (as a lonely teen! &t almost seems silly that a sim$le (ebsite can be so im$ortant and effecti%e for so many $eo$le# and it may not be $erfect# but for some# it is a home!

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"orks Cited

=manda! 'essage to Julia Teeter! 1, 6o%ember 2013! Tumblr message! Cynthia! 'essage to Julia Teeter! 20 6o%ember 2013! Tumblr message! Jorrigan# John +! KThe &nternet ;osters Hnline Communities!K Online Communities: Networks That Nurture Long-Distance Relationships and Local Ties! 2001! :$t! in The In ormation !ge! .d! James D! Torr! >an Diego Lreenha%en Press# 2003! Current Contro%ersies! Opposing "iewpoints in Conte#t! "eb! 1E 6o%! 2013! Josh! 'essage to Julia Teeter! 1M 6o%ember 2013! Tumblr message! <at! 'essage to Julia Teeter! 1M 6o%ember 2013! Tumblr message! 'oran# 6ancy! KTumblr!K C$! Close %p 1M 320125 14C12! !cademic &earch Complete! "eb! 22 6o%! 2013 Pa%la! 'essage to Julia Teeter! 1M 6o%ember 2013! Tumblr message! >tornaiuolo# l! =!# J! <! DiNio# and .! =! Jellmich! K.*$anding Community -outh# >ocial 6et(orking# =nd >chools!K Comunicar 20!40 320135 M,CEM! !cademic &earch Complete! "eb! 1, 6o%! 2013 >trom# Paris# and >trom# :obert! KLro(ing )$ "ith >ocial 6et(orks =nd Hnline Communities!K 'ducation Digest ME!1 320125 4EC21! !cademic &earch Complete! "eb! 22 6o%! 2013! Tilly! 'essage to Julia Teeter! 21 6o%ember 2013! Tumblr message!