The internet can be a really wonderful placeĀ
Itās changed the way we learn and research, the way we connect with others, and the way we express ourselves in positive, powerful ways. But itās no secret that these improvements also present us with unique challenges. We can learn new things faster, but sometimes we have to sort through piles of misinformation while we doāand itās not always easy to detect. Weāre able to connect with people we never would have met otherwise thanks to social media, but it can encourage addictive behavior in the apps that keep us connected. Weāre able to express ourselves more easily, but we sometimes overshare in ways detrimental to our careers, reputation, and mental health.Ā
Weāas in Tumblr the companyāare not immune to these challenges. You know it. We know it. And we hear you. We recognize that toxicity and negativity happen everywhere online, even on Tumblr. We are constantly striving to learn and utilize new ways to create a safe place for our communities. Opening up this dialogue to anyone who wants to join is the first step weāre taking in 2020 to foster a more positive, collaborative experience. Over the next year, weāll be rolling out improvements and updates to our platform that improves your experience.Ā
We can all agree that these challenges exist, but letās look out for each other; Teach other people and ourselves how to keep the wonderful parts of the internet in view while working through the troublesome bits. These issues are best addressed through honest, open dialogue.Ā
Thatās why weāve partnered with the UK non-profit, Ditch the Label (@ditchthelabel), to help spread some internet safety awareness as well as facilitate some much-needed conversation between yourselvesāthe community on Tumblr.
Weāre calling it World Wide What
At the heart of this campaign is, well, you. We want to hear from you. Over the next month weāll focus on six different topics with accompanying videos for discussion. Each one will feature a different real-world problem youāve most likely faced as an Extremely Online Person (yeah, we see you) and what you can do to mitigate those issues. Theyāre live right now:
āFake News, Skewed Viewsā
āDonāt @ Meā (Cyberbullying)Ā
āAuthenticity OnlineāĀ
āPull Down to RefreshāĀ
āFelt Cute Might Delete LaterāĀ
āA Safer Internet: ModerationāĀ
Some posts will be accompanied by Answer Times with guests that can speak knowledgeably about one or more of the topics weāre focusing on. Weāre looking at:
1/8 ā @medialiteracyed taking questions about fake news
1/15 ā @ditchthelabel opening up their ask box to discuss cyberbullying
1/22 ā Jameela Jamil, founder of I Weigh, to answer questions about the effects of inauthentic social media personalities
TBD ā Someone from the leadership team here at Tumblr to talk about user safety
One of the more beautiful qualities of the Tumblr community is that so many of you spare the time and space to look out for others. If you have someone in your life that you think could use a little guiding light to use social media in a safer way for their mental or physical health, this might be a good resource to send them.Ā
You can stay tuned for more updates on World Wide What, including when our Answer Times go live, by following this blog. If you want to be notified the moment a post from us goes live, tap or click the silhouette at the top of our page and select āGet notifications.ā
In the meantime, we want to hear from you. What kind of impact has social media had on your mental health? If you want to start a conversation with the community, reblog this post or make a new one and tag itĀ so others can easily find it.
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