okay i’m gonna say it: fandoms are kinda dying on tumblr, and they’re starving because nobody reblogs anymore.
like… i don’t wanna be that person but be for real?? likes are cute and all but they do nothing for creators. ZERO. NADA. a reblog is literally the oxygen mask keeping this blue hellsite alive. you say you “love” a fic, an edit, a gifset? then BABES… reblog it. boost it. let it breathe.
half the time creators are out here pouring their entire soul, spine, AND three vertebrae into something just for it to get 200 likes and 3 reblogs, two of which are their own. that’s why people stop posting. that’s why fandoms feel empty. content doesn’t magically fall from the sky — it comes from people who feel seen.
and i promise you: reblogging is free. it costs you like 0.2 seconds and suddenly you’re personally responsible for keeping a whole fandom alive. congrats!! so yeah. if you like something? reblog it. scream in the tags. yell. keyboard smash. put sparkles. do whatever. just don’t let creators feel like they’re shouting into a void.
reblogs feed creators. reblogs keep fandoms thriving. reblogs literally save lives (okay maybe not literally but u get it).
support the creators you love !!!!!! or else we’re all gonna be sitting in empty tags like clowns.
I won't go so far to say likes mean nothing. 200 likes literally mean 200 people liked your stuff. If my followers just want to like my stuff, I still appreciate that little heart.
That being said, I agree that people should reblog more on tumblr. Not because likes aren't a legit form of interaction (they are, the site has them here for a reason), but because reblogging gives a post reach and, most importantly, longevity.
Reblogging is the reason why tumblr is markedly different from other social media sites. It's the reason why posts from 10 years ago are still circulating, because reblogs (supported by a queue system) allow it to be exposed to newer and newer audiences with the passage of time.
It's basically an entirely user-driven algorithm, which is amazing! You are the algorithm. You decide what other people get to see, what gets talked about, what stays relevant, what gets preserved and what gets forgotten. Even if you have a small following, you can still be an integral part of someone's reblog chain. Tumblr users have the power to immortalize AND to drag someone through the mud even long after deactivation. It's wonderful.
