The 1975, Dan and Phil, Unicorn Frappuccinos, Doc Martens, American Apparel, Fall Out Boy, Doctor Who, and The Fault in Our Stars.
Chances are, if you were asked to remember what it was like to be on Tumblr throughout the 2010s, these are some of the things that come to mind.
Tumblr is a social media platform that rose to peak popularity in the early 2010s and was mainly used by young adults and teenagers. On the platform, users have the power to make a customizable profile catered to their interests through following specific tags or ‘reblogging’ posts about their favorite shows, content creators, or literature.
Yet, over the years, its popularity began to fade as users grew up, and they began to migrate to other, more mature social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. For a period of time, Tumblr faded into obscurity, and few people used the platform at all, cringing at their pages dedicated to their former emo aesthetic, politically charged posts, or former pop culture obsessions.
That is, until 2025, when there is an undeniable sense of “deja vu”, as Tumblr’s influence and its most popular hashtag topics began to resurface, both through the era being spoken of with high regard on TikTok and through users returning to the platform to revisit their beloved memories.
A majority of users online welcome the blast from the past, and a fun reminder of their childhoods spent online. Still, many have a recurring question: What is causing Tumblr’s unexpected rise back to its former glory?
Government criticism and a return to online rebellion and activism
One of the key aspects of Tumblr in its early days was that it was a platform used for political debate and activism. Many users rallied around issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, income inequality, and even climate change. Sharing funny political memes or jokes, think-pieces, blogs, or writings allowed young people online to comment on or advocate for what they believed in and process the political turmoil, when there weren’t as many platforms to do so in the early 2010s.
Amidst political turmoil due to the financial and housing crisis and the ongoing fight for equality for all, people on Tumblr were able to raise awareness and call their government officials to action.
Today, in the 2020s, we’re once again experiencing political unrest in America and around the world. And while platforms such as X, Instagram, and TikTok also play a key role in activism, Tumblr was often regarded as the main site for political debate and commentary for the era.
With the rise of similar online criticism on social media platforms regarding the ongoing debate about reproductive rights, immigration, and equality, especially in movements like Black Lives Matter, the political and social atmosphere is reminiscent to the 2010s. Therefore, it seems inevitable that there would be a revival of the platform that introduced many young Millennials and Gen Z to the world of politics and to share their voice.
Nostalgia: In the words of 5 Seconds of Summer, “can we just go back to 2011”?
Life as an adult is never what you thought it would be as a young child or teenager. With inflation and economic crisis, and many people still grappling with the aftermath of the pandemic, times are hard for many people across the globe.
So, it makes sense that people would want to return to a simpler time in their lives; A time when they didn’t worry about how they were going to afford to pay their next bill, and when their biggest worries were hoping their post would get a lot of reblogs and when the next episode of Supernatural was going to come out.
The Tumblr aesthetic, with its pastel colors, vintage vibes, and quirky range of styles, now serves as a strong reminder of the glory days and a sense of comfort people can turn to during hard times.
Many people, including those who were too young to have used Tumblr during its peak, are also beginning to gravitate towards the site and its core aesthetics through the power of TikTok.
One user, on TikTok, writes “bring it back,” in a slideshow with very Tumblr-esque selfies, complete with flower crowns, a MAC lipstick, and photo effects such as pixelated sparkles, Melanie Martinez lyrics, and aliens. The video, posted less than two months ago, has over 36,000 likes.
Some musicians, as well, including Addison Rae, Charli XCX, and Lana Del Rey, have been drawing inspiration from the clothes and music that dominated mainstream media a decade ago, rekindling the interest in a new generation.
TikTok user Hannahzookpop credits Rae for “…bringing 2010 Tumblr vibes back to Instagram.”
With most trends resulting from social media, and trends being considered a cycle, it is no surprise that the very essence of Tumblr: the DIY spirit, the pastel, high-exposure filters, fun nails, and unique subcultures, is now being reshaped for the modern era.
And if you see someone with feather earrings, a side part, and an oversized off-the-shoulder sweatshirt walk by, it is definitely not because you accidentally travelled backwards in time.
An Intersection between Generations
This resurgence can’t be attributed to one sole group of individuals.
There’s a clear crossover between Gen Z teens and young adults, and Millennials, who are setting aside their beef to revive the aesthetic and ideologies Tumblr championed, and the website they spent so much time on during their formative years.
Yes, Millennials in their late 20s and early 30s are nostalgic for their younger years now that they’ve transitioned into adulthood, but Gen Z teens, who might have been a little too young for the platform, are mourning the fact that they weren’t alive to experience this iconic time in history, and are desperate to experience it.
The desire for Tumblr’s revival, being able to transcend age, proves one thing: that young people across the globe are desperate for a space online to be themselves authentically, and escape the algorithms of rich and dishonest “LA influencer” content.
So, maybe in a time of immense struggle and fear, a little bit of blogging is just what we need.
Tumblr was never just a place for users to post Fall Out Boy song lyrics or share their outfits. It was a platform for people to speak their mind without fear, a page for people to advocate for civil rights, and a space where people could be their authentic selves even if they couldn’t in their daily lives.
With today’s world grappling with similar struggles of unrest, financial turmoil, and a desperate longing to fit in, a return to the Tumblr era that paved the way for the modern-day digital era isn’t just fitting, but necessary.
So as you find yourself gravitating towards watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for the first time in years, or looking up Brendon Urie’s setlist for the
When We Were Young festival, maybe it’s also worth it to grab your beanies and skater skirts out of your closet once again, if not for nostalgia’s sake, but in support of self-expression and cultural rebellion.
