hey my “adults put ur age in ur bio” is getting backlash so I just want to say that no one is telling you to put your real name, address, state, etc online. but if you interacting with a community that is mainly 13-17-year-olds and you are an adult, it really is important to be transparent about your age. like no kid should have to interact with you to find out your age if you are 21+
This post is Not Great.
1. People can easily lie about their ages.
2. Regarding point one: giving minors this false sense of security that anyone who says they’re also a minor actually is, is objectively way worse than me not saying if I’m 19 or 29. That is literally internet predator 101: say you’re a minor to make actual minors feel safe.
3. Tumblr is not mainly 13-17, and never has been. I hate to break it to you. The Children™️ are the minority.
4. Regarding point three: I am no one’s mother. It’s not my job to take care if anyone else’s kid or make them feel safe on my blog. I’m saying that as someone who is 19 years old and has been on this site for 4 years. If some kid feels uncomfortable that they might be talking to *gasp* an adult, they better get off the Internet all together because there is no actual way to know who random blogger really #183737 is, but there’s a better than not chance they’re over 21. Sorry kiddos.
Tl;dr if you’re uncomfortable with someone for any reason: stop interacting with them. Unfollow, even block them if you want, it’s there for a reason. But their age shouldn’t be your main factor in deciding. Not all adults are predators, but some “minors” are.
You’re an adult interacting with content made for teenagers.
You are on a site that is 85% ADULTS.
Tumblr is AN ADULT SPACE.
There are literally only as many of you as there are boomers.
Also, where tf did @the-cookie-of-doom even say anything about what content they interact with? Nothing here is made “just for teenagers”, especially when the shows you watch are either made by millennials, or are reboots from millennial childhoods.
It is super NOT HARD to just watch out for yourself online, and immediately cut ties with anyone that makes you uncomfortable, even if say they’re your age. If a predator knows you’re a minor because you’ve put it in your bio, they are 100% gonna lie to you about their age in order to gain your trust, because pedophiles are disgusting, loathesome scumbags that will do anything to get close to kids. Don’t make it easier for them!
Not sharing your age online is one of the FIRST things they taught us, and they did so for a reason.
Reblogging for the fact that there are the same number of minors on this site as there are 55+ and I’m sick of hearing teenagers piping up about how this site is for them and adults should do this or that for their benefit. No. This is a site for adults and YOU need to be mature enough to use it safely and responsibly, or you shouldn’t be here. If you aren’t sure how to do that, speak to your parents. You can’t go on a public forum and impose your own rules for how other people behave.