Were You a Teen on Tumblr in the 2010s? I want to hear from you!
Did you scroll past thinspo, reblog sad girls, post through the pain, and call it community?
Did the internet raise you—romanticize you—ruin you a little?
You’re not alone!
I’m collecting anonymous stories for a memoir-in-progress titled Tumblr Made Me Do It, a hybrid of personal narrative and cultural critique.
It explores how growing up on this platform shaped our bodies, our gender, our trauma, our sense of self—and what it means to come of age curated by an algorithm.
I’m looking to hear from people who meet ANY of the following criteria:
Were teenagers using Tumblr between around and during the 2010s.
Engaged with any of the following: fandom (any, kpop, anime, Supernatural, bands, etc), thinspo, self-harm tags, queer identity spaces, kink culture, soft grunge/pale blogs, sad girl culture, etc.
Have reflections on how Tumblr shaped (or warped) their adolescence
All responses are anonymous, and select quotes may be included in the final manuscript with care and consent.
If you want to contribute to this collective archive of survival, please fill out the survey here:
Tumblr Era Testimonials
The internet tried to consume us. This is one way we take ourselves back.
Reblogs are deeply appreciated.
Me when anyone brings up pre-2016 Tumblr: