Why Tumblr Sucks

     In the spirit of Tumblr being down for a solid 24 hours or so, I figured this was a nice opportunity to talk about why I think Tumblr sucks. Tumblr is actually down again as I'm typing this. I bet mass amounts of teenagers are suffering from withdrawal  symptoms right now.
     It's not so much that I dislike Tumblr itself. The website is extremely easy to use, the site template is very neat, and it's easy to follow other Tumblr users. What I hate is the reputation that comes along with it, one of the many reasons I decided to host this blog through Blogspot instead. Before I even visit somebody's Tumblr, I just assume it will be cluttered with:

• out-of-focus pictures
• pictures edited to look like they were shot on film
• pictures of hipster-esque, malnourished-looking girls with protruding spines, cheekbones, and collarbones that never, ever, under any circumstance, show the girl's entire face
• pictures of record players
• pictures of generic couples holding hands, kissing, and doing other generic things that generic couples do
• pictures of hip teenagers looking "badass"and/or trying to look like they just don't give a fuck
• the occasional post where the owner of the blog complains about their life in the most ambiguous, depressing way possible
• the occasional post where the owner of the blog complains about their girlfriend/boyfriend/ex/crush in the most ambiguous way possible so that nobody knows who or what they're even talking about

     Surely there's a ton of other Tumblr cliches out there but those are the ones that stick out in my mind. And yes, I've come across a handful of blogs on Tumblr that actually have some substance to them. It's a real shame that these actual good blogs are downgraded due to the mass amounts of hipster garbage posted on the website.

     Another thing that really bugs me about Tumblr - although this isn't limited to just Tumblr - is the fact that it is used as an outlet by lots of users to share what they really want to say to certain people, without saying their name. Sometimes it doesn't matter, but sometimes it's about somebody big in that person's life. What I'd like to know is since when has it been okay to broadcast your issues on your blog to hundreds of people who probably don't care, rather than to bring them up to the one person the post/tweet/facebook status is about? 

     I realize I'm being incredibly general about this one, I just don't want anybody to feel like this is a personal attack. It's not - I've seen this kind of stuff happen all over social networking sites. . I would be hurt, self-conscious, and probably a little offended if I noticed my boyfriend (hypothetical boyfriend, just to clarify) made some dumb Tumblr post clearly about me, rather than just coming to me about said hypothetical problem. I can't even recall how many times I've come across blogs where people do this or some sort of variation. This is apparently a new, yet strange and unproductive way that our generation chooses to communicate, if I can even call it communication.

     My journalism teacher reiterates to our class all the time that nowadays, anybody can be a writer or source of information, thanks to the popularity of the internet. It can be a blessing or a curse, but I see it as a blessing. You have the ability to share anything you want with the world if you really commit to getting yourself and your blog out there. So why waste it on posting generic pictures, crying about how much your life sucks, and softcore porn?

On a side note, I wish it was as easy writing papers for school as it is to write blog posts. If I could write papers this quickly I'd be a much happier person.

Pictures via Chris Priore's blog, Carousels , because he has the hippest blog out of anybody I know.