Tumblr memes have received tremendous popularity among millennials and Gen Z followers, attracted by the limitless freedom and anonymity of the platform.
Though originally used within the limited circles of Tumblr enthusiasts, these memes have evolved, now playing an active role in society and even pop culture.
When it comes to parents trying to guide their children through this virtual world, understanding this cultural phenomenon is important. Let’s, therefore, delve in and take a look at them.
The role of Tumblr memes
Originally developed as a microblogging service, Tumblr enables people to post a variety of media, thus promoting the idea of individuality.
In turn, the application has attracted public interest. Especially from Millennials and Gen Z, who appreciated the flexibility of their posts and their active audience.
As posts started to be repurposed and shared in new ways, Tumblr memes became the new wave for sharing content.
Tumblr memes began to shape trends across several platforms and became the basis for popular culture.
Features of Tumblr memes
The following factors define Tumblr memes.
Niche humor.
The memes on Tumblr, reference popular culture, fandoms, and internet phenomena familiar only to certain groups of viewers.
Dark humor and surrealism.
Relatively often, they use provoking comedy, irony and absurdity to describe matters that are rather nontraditional and somewhat terrifying.
Visual aesthetics.
Unlike most memes, Tumblr memes have a unique art style, object placement, and color schemes used in post images.
Text-based humor.
Of all the memes featured in the Tumblr community, a large number use punchlines and word play instead of just images.
Subversive culture.
Many memes on Tumblr are political, protesting against society’s norms, supporting diversity, and presenting counterculture.
All these elements together make Tumblr memes a flexible and highly effective means of communication and culture in today’s society.
What are the differences between Tumblr memes and memes from other platforms?
Tumblr memes and memes from other social platforms are different due to the differences in their sites’ nature and functions.
These are the differences.
Content format.
Tumblr supports various forms of posts, from text to images or GIFs that makes for denser and layered memes. However, apps such as Instagram confine memes to image and video clips, and thus, the content of memes cannot be very deep.
Community engagement.
Reblogging is a feature of Tumblr that allows a user to repost memes, add commentary to them or even alteration. Twitter or Facebook emphasize creating your own memes rather than sharing and reposting images.
Niche culture.
It is typical for Tumblr to feature small fan groups, and therefore, many memes are likely to be actual inside jokes. Others may generally contain larger audiences, which may result in the literal interpretation of memes or the erasing of the ‘meme’s meaning. ‘
Longevity and evolution.
Memes on Tumblr typically move from one to another as users create their own interpretations of the meme. On platforms such as Snapchat or TikTok, the meme has a shorter lifetime because of the high turnover of content.
These differences illustrate how Tumblr memes do more than represent Tumblr’s culture but can shape the internet meme culture as a whole.
How to post memes on Tumblr?
Sharing memes in blogs on Tumblr is a great and entertaining way to start an interaction with other platform users.
Here’s a guide on how to post memes on Tumblr.
Step 1. First, to open a Tumblr account, input your e-mail, set a password, and select a blog address.
Step 2. After successfully logging in, you will be taken to your page where you can see posts from blogs you are subscribed to.
Step 3. Click on “Photo” and attach an image file associated with your meme. For “Text” posts, the meme could be typed out as a message or use a combination of texts and posted images.
Step 4. Format the appearance of your meme with the built-in editing tools provided at your disposal.
Step 5. Add tags to your meme to help users find your posts easily. Some examples of tags include #meme #haha #tumblr #tumblrmeme.
Step 6. If you want to add extra information or expand on your meme’s punchline, you can do so in the caption space.
Step 7. When you are done customizing your meme click the ‘Post’ button to repost it for your followers as well as the Tumblr network.
To post a meme effectively, you will need to employ the following strategies.
- Stay current. To give your memes contextual relevance, incorporate what is currently hot on trending topics or popular culture. Memes that include issues or trends in society perform better.
- Keep it simple. The best memes, usually, are not obscured and do not require much interpretation. Do not make a complicated joke that viewers could have a hard time understanding.
- Use high-quality images. Make sure that the images you use are well defined and pleasing to the eye. Low-quality and blurry images are damaging to memes and will make them less effective.
- Experiment with humor. Do not limit yourself to one type of humor. Posts full of absurdity, irony and simple human imagery appear to be more successful on Tumblr.
Why Tumblr memes appeal to teenagers?
Teenagers are particularly interested in memes on Tumblr for a variety of reasons. Here’s why.
Relatability and shared experiences.
Most trends found on Tumblr revolve around experiences normal teenagers go through. This relatability makes users feel like they belong to a group as they interact with other users.
Humor and absurdity.
Tumblr memes have become a hit because of the unusual, sardonic or even nonserious messages they convey. This targets teens sense of humor and their ability to find humor in ‘potty jokes.’
Minorities’ interests and identity.
Tumblr is a place people go to to embrace and explore their often obscure interests and counter-cultures.
Visual appeal and creativity.
When creating memes for the Tumblr audience, many writers create visually appealing designs, typography, and GIFs. This appeals to teenagers’ visual approach to things.
Self-expression and identity.
Teenagers can express themselves and confront social norms through the use of Tumblr memes. They can use memes as means of sharing opinions, jokes, and values.
Community and belonging.
Through microblogging, Tumblr allows teenagers to engage with other people with similar interests and funny bones.
Social commentary and activism:
Tumblr memes can be utilized for social activism. This appeals to the teenagers that want to be associated with the fight against social causes.
Tumblr memes are not only used as a source of entertainment but also as a way to establish teenagers’ self identity.
Popular Tumblr memes 2024
Tumblr being an ideal platform for self-creativity, some few memes have received considerable attention from the platform users.
Here are some of the most clicked and reblogged Tumblr memes and what they mean.
I Can’t Believe You’ve Done This
This meme is a reaction of a man and woman who looks surprised, after seeing something they never expected.
It is more frequently employed to comment on another person’s behavior. It conveys disbelief and often does so in a humorous manner or by provoking an overreaction.
No Thoughts, Head Empty
This meme describes a time or state when you are struggling to think or simply checked out mentally.
It is quite relevant to many teenagers who feel anxious and stressed. It depicts situations in which people are unable to think straight.
We are all just meat puppets.
This meme can be traced back to philosophy about existence and consciousness. It is a kind of funny way to convey about existence.
It caters to teenagers who want to know more information about existentialist themes in a humorous manner.
I’m Not Like Other Girls
This meme captures a typical tendency of girls, who attempts to be different from other girls in order to earn some attention.
It has become a form of expression and it is great at pointing out the stereotypes of different genders.
Me Explaining My Feelings
This meme is presented with images or GIFs showing the inability of a character to put into words what they are feeling.
It appeals to teenagers who sometimes are unable to share their emotions. It depicts most of the challenges they face showing feelings.
I’m Fine
This meme uses the ‘I’m fine’ phrase as a way to be sarcastic against images showing discomfort or unhappiness.
It cleverly points out the distinction between words and feelings. Which is something teenagers know only too well because society expects them to be fine.
Euphoria Aesthetic
This meme is based on the television program Euphoria. As such, it reflects on the motion graphics themes of youthful rebellion, identity, and mental illness.
It attracts the teenage audience who attribute to those feelings that the show portrays.
That’s So Random!
This is a very loose and illogical type of meme, based mostly on ridiculous and completely unpredictable pictures or captions.
It mirrors a pattern that has become normal for teenagers to find humor in things that do not make sense.
What If I Told You…
This meme format focuses on Morpheus’s character from the Matrix movie and has text that states an unbelievable truth.
It is used especially for irony and parody in regards to famous clichés or prejudices.
Crying Cat
With the main character being a cat and having very large eyes that look sad, this meme is used to express disappointment or sadness.
It is used more as a playful way to express even the lowest level of annoyance.
Are Tumblr memes good for teenagers?
Although some of the Tumblr memes posted by teenagers are cute and amusing at best, there are drawbacks to this kind of creativity.
1. Cyberbullying.
There are usually high risks of cyberbullying on Tumblr. Any form of bullying would normally have the worst impact on the mental health of developing teenagers.
2. Exposure to harmful content.
Some Tumblr memes are known for giving out wrong portrayals about body image, encouragement of self-harm or any other bad practices.
3. Social comparison.
Living under the intensive influence of perfect body images makes people develop low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy.
4. Isolation.
Excessive use of technology poses a real danger to real-life social skills, especially interpersonal communication.
5. Addiction.
Overuse of the site results in addiction which in turn affects relationships, schoolwork, and more broadly overall health.
Tumblr, like every other social platform, must be monitored by parents. They should always sit their children down and explain to them the dos and don’ts of using such platforms.
How to help children explore the internet culture safely？
The Web contains lots of information and interesting things, so children need to be taught how they can use it responsibly and safely.
Below are tips that can help your child learn about internet culture without necessarily being on the receiving end of negative impacts.
Open and honest communication
Regular Check-ins. Talk more freely with your children about internet usage. Find out what their interests are, their friends, and their interactions.
Set Clear Expectations. Set rules for screen time, expected behavior while using the screen, and privacy.
Digital literacy education
Teach Critical Thinking. Teach your child to question what they read or hear on the social media platform or any website they visit.
Online Safety. Explain the dangers of giving away personal information, bullying others on the Internet, and bullying people who might want to harm them on the web.
Stay involved
Monitor Online Activity. Supervise your child’s social media accounts and other stuff he or she is searching on the internet.
Co-Viewing. Watch videos or games with them in order to find out their hobbies and to talk about their experiences on the Internet.
Make use of the tools in parental control.
In order to make safe browsing even more certain, parents can use special applications such as FlashGet Kids.
This app has been developed specifically to monitor and control children’s use of gadgets.
It has several features to help parents protect their children, some of which are listed below.
- Live monitoring. Parents can monitor their child’s activity in real time and can take necessary action for any wrongdoings.
- Screen time management. Parents can limit the amount of time their children use specific applications or devices to promote healthy technology use.
- App blocking. Parents can restrict children from accessing some applications deemed to contain inappropriate information.
- Location tracking. It assists parents in monitoring the kid’s location and creates boundaries to notify the parent if the child goes to a restricted area.
Using programs that allow parents to monitor their children’s activities, such as FlashGet Kids, the dangers of Tumblr memes and other Internet cultures can be minimized.
This approach does not only save children from developing any psychological problems. But also prepares them to use the new technologies safely.
Lastly, creating a safe social media experience will enable children to be part of the internet culture without any possible unhealthy consequences.
