Blaike Young Staff Writer   If you don’t know what Tumblr is, I’m shocked. It has become so popular at Latin, its a part of everyday conversation. If you don’t have a Tumblr and don’t get the appeal or understand it, I’m not so shocked.  Tumblr’s addictive quality is hard to explain to people that aren’t familiar with reblogging photos (that soon gain thousands and thousands of reblogs), following people who share common interests and taste in artsy photos with sun glares and beach hair, and posting everyday perils that are a little too honest to post as your Facebook status. But Tumblr is just that. People expressing themselves honestly, without fear of being criticized by friends or foes. A consistently reblogged picture is one that says something along the lines of, I love everyone on Tumblr, hate everyone on Facebook, or a GIF (moving picture) of someone scrolling through their Facebook profile with the words, “Hate you” in bold, black letters. Maybe a little dramatic, but hey, we’re teens. As sophomore, Olivia Schultz, stated “It’s different from Facebook because you can really say or show anything you want or feel. Even though some of your school friends can follow you, I feel like Tumblr is more private, and you don’t have to feel self-conscious about every picture, quote, song, etc. that you post. Even though I like to show people my Tumblr, I feel because it doesn’t have my name written all over it, it’s easier to post what you like and how you feel.” Exactly. This is how the majority of the angsty teens that scroll through their dashboard, procrastinating on their homework, feel. It’s an escape to a world where there is no judgement, you can say or post anything you want without people telling you how you feel is wrong. It’s a common ground for people to see they’re not alone. In a way, Tumblr is like free therapy. Because you can be so honest, it helps you vent your frustrations and you get to see that people around the world also feel the same way you do, that you’re not alone. Its one of the only places where you can express yourself freely. Because you can express yourself freely, many people choose to keep their Tumblr a secret from their friends and people at school. This is even said to be a Tumblr rule, that you should not tell anyone your URL. People at Latin feel so many pressures from around them, that having something separate from school and from the people who know you, and think of you as a certain way, is a relief. It’s a way to put out how you feel in your head without letting the whole school know that you really feel this way. Tumblr is representative of the inner workings buried deep in your brain, that isn’t filtered by a censor that prohibits you from talking and expressing yourself as you would if you were anonymous, an option on Tumblr. It represents the things you never want people to know you think, the things you will never admit, and the things sometimes you’re scared to admit to yourself. Now there are also the Tumblr’s that are about typography or politics, but Tumblr truly belongs to the teens, who gain the title of “hipster.” Tumblr is also a time sucker. You get home from school, tired of the same old same old, and you crave people that are different. You want to see all the cool things the people you follow are doing, what they’re wearing, what parties they’re going to. So you sit on Tumblr, scrolling through a blue dash, telling yourself you just need a 5 minute break from the stairs that never seem to end (especially when you’re on the 5th floor and your thighs burn like the sun on 100 degree days when you’re wearing a sweater and Uggs) and 5 minutes turns to midnight and you realize its not the weekend, you have school tomorrow. Whoops. This is one of the serious issues with being a Tumblr addict. And let me tell you, everybody that gets a Tumblr becomes painstakingly glued to the blue background of their visual confessions. Status does exist on Tumblr, much like in the real world. Everybody on Tumblr, soon wants to be Tumblr Famous. What in the world is that? Someone who is Tumblr Famous has thousands and thousands and thousands of devoted followers, their posts are reblogged a million times, and their URL is commonly known throughout Tumblr, even throughout the Latin hallways. Tumblr famous people often include teenage girls who post photos of girls in short shorts and crop tops, or who are known for their personal lives. Examples? May-13th.tumblr.com is particularly famous for her self uploaded videos with her boyfriend or sexy-sweaters.com (they don’t have the .tumblr URL) for custom sweaters with images of famous photos. Even real celebrities have Tumblrs. Joe Jonas, Lady Gaga, Diana Agron, and Britney Spears all have them. Talk about famous. Everybody’s Tumblin’. So, if you were confused about the fuss surrounding Tumblr, hopefully this cleared it up. If not, why don’t you go make one. Then you’ll understand. Keep on scrolling!  ]]>