It's possible that you may have never heard of Tumblr, but I am sure the teens in your life have. Tumblr is a micro-blogging site where millions of users express their personal ideas and creativity. While it's not as large as Facebook (which boasts 1.5 billion users), or the beneficiary of extensive media coverage like Instagram (400 million), Tumblr has an army of "independent creators" and is home to an audience of more than 400 million unique visitors (DMR Research, Oct, 23 2015). Like all social platforms, the better you understand how it works, the better you are able to decide if it's right for your children and recognize how to keep them protected.
To create an account you need only provide: Email, Username, and Password. Tumblr's Terms of Service requires users to be 13 or older, but as we know, there is no way to verify the age of users. Users use Tumblr as a method of self-expression where readers can only respond to blog posts by "liking" or "reblogging". Having an image based blog can be a dangerous undertaking, especially as our children are learning what is and isn't appropriate to post, and remember that images in particular can cause issues down then line when colleges and employers Google search your child and are faced with their "Digital Book". (Every keystroke, post, like, and image is stored in perpetuity online in your very own Digital Book -- for kids and adults alike.)
So, how can we help our kids navigate these murky waters, and what do you as a parent need to know about Tumblr?
Here are three ways to help your child stay protected while blogging with Tumblr.
1. Less messaging, fewer problems?
It is important to note that Tumblr is less of a messaging platform like Facebook and Twitter, and more of a way to curate images. This of course minimizes the opportunity for readers of an individual's blog to respond with negative messages, but it is not without risks (and you can still post messages when you reblog). What is important to highlight with your child is that the lack of direct feedback feature will not deter a committed cyberbully from taking a screen grab of content and posting to Snapchat, Instagram or texting to everyone in their class.
That said, the basic rule of thumb applies: remind your child to think twice before they post. They need to ask themselves: are they sure that they want that image out in the world for everyone to see, forever?
Also, it is good to be aware that if cyberbullying, or any kind of online harassment, escalates and does becomes an issue, Tumblr has a solution to report and block a specific user and/or their Tumblr blog. To do this, simply open the user's blog, click on the avatar, go into the user menu, and select "Block." Now this user can't follow you, message you, like, reblog, or reply to your posts, or see your blog in search results. Tumblr has also added a "report harm to minors" function that can be found in the sites Community Guidelines.
2. Would Grandma like this?
As with all social media, children and young teens need to be aware of the very public nature of their posts. This is a format that inspires people to express themselves and their individuality and will require users to understand boundaries for sharing content they would not want to be seen by their grandmothers or employers.
Similar to the message we promote about Snapchat and the perception that it is not permanent, you have to educate kids to understand that everything on the internet is public and permanent, despite how anonymous they may feel. Share real stories about teens and social media users that have experienced backlash for images they have posted. A story close to our hearts at STOPit is that of Amanda Todd. Sharing her story, and the escalation of harassment that stemmed from the sharing of one image, is a powerful tool to teach caution when posting and compassion for peers online.
3. XXX
The biggest area of concern on Tumblr, similar to our earlier Vine Quick Tips, is simply the uninhibited access to content without censorship. Children will have open access to content that may not be appropriate for them, whether it be sexual in nature, explicit language, uncensored violence, or all manner of extreme and potentially offensive ideas. Similar to the broader Internet, there are blogs dedicated to pornography, drugs and extreme violence.
Unfortunately, in this case there isn't much you can do, aside from setting up a household device that controls you home modem's "searchability" or download an app like Tumblr Savior to your browser or mobile device to place words or phrases you want to block on a blacklist. Your best defense here is likely a good offense: talk to your child about the risks of improper searches.
As on many social media platforms and networking sites, Tumblr fails to provide families effective filtering options to help you create a safer, more insular world for your child. I'd like to take a moment to think of this through a "rose colored glasses" lens. In a world where so much of our time is spent communicating digitally, many of us with strangers (Remember to heed your own advice!), online safety issues present a great opportunity to sit down as a family and have a real dialogue. We are given a chance to look into each other's eyes, talk in earnest, and explore uncomfortable topics. That is utterly invaluable to the growth of a good digital citizen and an informed young adult.
Do your research, keep an eye on your child's posts and their followers, but most importantly... keep talking.