Parents' Guide to

Tumblr

By Carla Thornton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Rich microblogging site includes abundant iffy content.

Website http://www.tumblr.com/
Tumblr Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this website.

  • Users can search for blogs on a variety of topics.
  • Users can also view blogs on the Tumblr app.
  • The tool makes posting a blog fairly easy.
  • Users can post items and follow other users' blogs.
  • The app makes on-the-go posts possible from a mobile device.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 38 parent reviews

not T.
not T. Adult
January 31, 2024
age 13+

safe

pretty safe, all of these other people keep saying that a bunch of porn is everywhere, but that isnt true if you set up your account right
chocolatecake123
chocolatecake123 Adult
December 13, 2020
age 13+

It’s a bit less toxic now.

Tumblr used to be, in my opinion, the most toxic social network (even if it was always a relatively niche one compared to the major players such as Facebook and Instagram). However, ever since the ban on explicit content, Tumblr’s community has become a bit less toxic. Much of Tumblr’s toxic user base appears to have migrated to Twitter, which, in turn, has become even more toxic than before. Tumblr is also much better than other social media websites when it comes to privacy (there’s no need to share your name or photos of yourself). I only ever used this site when between the ages of 14 and 16 (I briefly came back this year and got bored), so, suffice to say, Tumblr isn’t for me anymore. However, it’s better than it used to be.
See all 38 parent reviews

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Unclear whether personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What’s It About?

After setting up an account on TUMBLR, users are presented with several suggested blogs to follow or can search by keyword to find blogs; they can also create short blogs, or "tumblelogs." Teens can like posts or text and share photos, quotes, links, music, voice messages, and videos. They can reblog other users' posts so they show up on their personal blogs. By tapping a smiley face icon, users can chat with bloggers they follow. If they don't disable push notifications, users will receive notifications when their blogs have been liked or reblogged.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (38 ):
Kids say (98 ):

Though it's a potentially creative outlet where teens can connect with others, it also has a lot of mature content and almost no privacy options. Think of it as a superblog, a streaming scrapbook of text, photos, videos, and audio clips, offering information a wide variety of topics. For example, there are how-to blogs about eating disorders and also support-oriented blogs about preventing them.

The lack of a commenting feature, the oldest blog tool in the world, is rather annoying. But the look is sleek and the features Tumblr has are often inspired. Users can curate their followings according to their tastes. Reading on the phone or tablet is easy and appealing, and posting quick blogs-on-the-go is super easy, with a graphical interface for entering text, images, quotes, links, videos, or simply a "hello" greeting.

The snazzy microblogging platform has something for everyone -- except kids. Lowbrow humor abounds alongside more thoughtful content. Users should be aware that the option to chat with other users opens up possibilities for teens to have contact with anonymous adults. It's also important to note that, in the app, there's no way to prevent people from finding your posts by searching for your email address, so the site actually provides more flexibility within the settings. Overall, Tumblr promises good, naughty fun for the under-30 crowd and can be a solid venue for self-expression, but parents should think twice about letting minors join.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can discuss the wisdom of older teens joining a site such as Tumblr, which seems to have been created largely by and for 20-somethings. The content is by turns refreshing, juvenile, inscrutable, and sexually provocative.

  • Families can talk about how to responsibly use social-networking sites -- and how to react if someone posts something inappropriate. Set some rules for what is and isn't appropriate for your teens to communicate and post online. For example, discuss how text and pictures posted in a public forum are forever: Though it may not seem like a big deal to share something one day, posts with photos or comments about youthful misbehavior could come back to haunt them.

  • Families can talk about issues that teens may see on Tumblr, from sex, gender, and body-image issues to violence. Read our guides for ideas on how to broach these topics.

  • Remind teens not to give out personal information -- such as a full name, an address, or a school name -- to strangers. Some "meet-up" blogs have popped up on Tumblr in the past, and those are definitely not for kids.

Website Details

  • Subjects: Language & Reading : writing
  • Skills: Creativity : making new creations, producing new content, Communication : conveying messages effectively, multiple forms of expression, Tech Skills : digital creation, social media
  • Genre: Blogging
  • Pricing structure: Free
  • Last updated: November 15, 2019

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