Les’ talk about it:
The anonworld thrived during an era where Tumblr itself was thriving. 2012 to 2015 (possibly even late 2011, making it like any other institution of four years). Who were we? Adolescences at best. Ranging from high school to higher education. So let’s say the average anon was 16 to 26 years old. This formating worked because we were all confused millennials with out-of-the ordinary mental disorders that lead us to the gateway of having the ability to give advice to those that were going through a difficult time. Wow, we actually had a job? Statistically proven, it is easier to share your problems with a stranger whether it is unbiased feedback, or it is someone who doesn’t have the capacity to judge you at full length. We took up a face of a celebrity to stay anonymous so people feel more free to express their distress from their personal lives. Were we professional psychiatrists? Hell no. But we sure as hell acted like it. Finding a common interest between us formed a society, and sadly more often than not that common ground was our personalized instability. Of course in every society comes a hierarchy.
We had the elites. The anons that everyone knew by their username as well as their actual first names. Talk about fimilarity. These were usually anons that created themes, and helped format the anonworld to become its best version it could have been. Then the second in command that were known because of their association to the elites. If you were in with them, you were in with majority of the anonworld. Hello yeah, I was one of them. I was controversial as hell, but the way I gave advice to those that asked for it was grade A, and that’s what helped me rise to popularity. During this time, a lot of the anons forgot why we started this community in the first place. They did their bit to post hotlines (suicide prevention, sexual abuse, emotional distress, etc.) on their blogs, but that’s as far as they commited. Only little of us stayed up throughout the night to calm a person down because they were contemplating to self harm or to end it all. Little of us actually published our expertise on what to do when you think a significant other is cheating on you, your parental figures not knowing your sexual orientation, the failing grade, the losing of your virginity, social constructs that bind us to ideologies that we never wanted to be bound to. This was a 911 operator job, or so it was.
And while we, for some reason got exhausted by the fake messages we recieved to get help (usually trolls), or figured that there was no reason to post advice because about 105+ other anons did it for us, we found comfort in ourselves to start relationships between us. Talk about Catfish central. Tinder? Hell na, it was ALL about Anonworld. I remember I got catfished once by another popular anon, and it was crazy. It wasn’t your Thanksgiving family dinner on here, it was Thanksgiving, Christmas and an Easter family reunion. But I also formed the best friendships on here that to this day I still keep in contact with. But we never talk about the anonworld. Yeah we mention it from time to time but it’s sort of a taboo now. A stigma surrounded by our cringy angst teenage years. So, why’d it all crash and burn?
Maturity at best? As we grew, we realized mental disabilities were too serious for us to even phantom an explanation of why someone feels a certain way. For ourselves, we no longer had the option to hide online as we became adults, and needed to find help and a supportive system in the real world. We grew up. Needed to get jobs, start a family (Like holy shit, I’m married!!!!), continue our education. Things were changing on Tumblr too, like any social media it goes through fluctuations of audience. But, why did the generation after us not succeed to rebuild what we worked so hard on?
No guidance? How do you rebuild something that was destroyed after the greatest succession? That’s like asking to rebuild the Ottoman Empire with a teaspoon. But every revision has another edition. The new generation failed because they believed following in our footsteps of just recreating emotionless relationships and fake friendships through gifs of celebrities were enough to keep the movement going. The new generation tried to revive the dead horse that’s been kicked too many times instead of investing it’s time on a new “horse”. This community was so broad, with so many possibilites. But creating new possibilites takes extreme effort, effort that sometimes we ourselves have never experienced. And nobody really wants to take that responsibility because there’s always the risk of failing.
Is this the end? Like the end END? I encourage you guys to push your limits to try something new. I come back on this tag every so often, and all I see is “I’m bored, someone talk to me!” Why? Why are you so important to form a conversation with? “Is there anyone even on here?” Make a reason for us to come back. And if not the OG cast, make a reason for new people to join the community.
Thank you guys for taking the time to read this. I still have a slither of hope in my heart that this isn’t the end. But I’ve been holding out for a long time. Rest in power Adam Evan, and everyone that has lost their lives through this community or were once a part of it. You’re always with us. 💝