Raven Wu
Published on: December 4, 2024
Fact-checked by Kate Davidson
Tumblr isn’t a kid-friendly site. Your kid can stumble upon inappropriate content related to violence, sex, drugs, and dangerous ideologies, and even get in touch with strangers. Plus, the site doesn’t have many restrictions in place for kids, and your child could easily get around the ones it does have.
But there are good safety measures you can take if you decide to let your kid use Tumblr. In the article below, I provide some tips for keeping your child safe on the platform.
The best way to protect your kid on Tumblr is with a good parental control app. My top pick is Bark — it monitors photos, chats, links, photo posts, and blog posts on Tumblr and alerts you if it detects any potentially problematic content. It can also disable Tumblr entirely if you don’t want your kid to use it at all.
What is Tumblr?
Tumblr is a social media platform and blogging site where people can create and share posts. It looks a lot like X (formerly Twitter), with a scrollable feed of posts from accounts you follow and a similar style of interaction (likes, replies, etc.). Users can write text posts, share photos, videos, links, and even repost things they like from others. It also has a chat function.
The site is more on the creative side, with lots of niche communities. You can find content on nearly any topic, from art and memes to hobbies, fandoms, and personal stories. Some people use it to share their passions, while others browse for entertainment or inspiration.
What Are the Risks of Tumblr?
- Inappropriate content. Since anyone can post on the site and there are few content restrictions, kids may encounter explicit images, suggestive discussions, violent themes, or offensive language.
- Cyberbullying. Kids on Tumblr may face bullying or harassment through anonymous messages, harmful comments, or reblogged posts intended to embarrass them. These interactions can harm a child’s self-esteem and sense of safety online.
- Online predators. Some predators take advantage of Tumblr’s anonymous nature and open messaging system to target children. For example, they may use fake profiles to gain a child’s trust, leading to inappropriate requests or dangerous situations.
- Exposure to strangers. Tumblr encourages public interaction and allows strangers to follow, comment on, or message your child. This can lead to unwanted or harmful interactions.
- Privacy concerns. While Tumblr allows some control over account visibility, users’ blogs and posts are public by default. Kids may also share personal details, whether by accident or as a result of careless oversharing.
- Misinformation and harmful trends. Tumblr users sometimes spread misinformation or promote harmful trends like self-harm glorification or unhealthy lifestyle practices. Kids are especially vulnerable to these kinds of influences.
- Scams, phishing, and malware. Kids on the site may encounter spam accounts, bots, fake giveaways, and phishing attempts that try to trick them into sharing sensitive personal information, such as their login credentials, or visiting malware-infected sites.
- Addiction and overuse. The endless scrolling format (and other such intentional design choices) makes Tumblr highly addictive. Spending too much time on the site may have negative consequences for your child’s academic performance, social life, and physical and mental wellbeing.
What Age Is Tumblr Appropriate For?
According to Tumblr’s Terms of Service, users must be at least 13 in the US and anywhere else in the world, with the exception of the UK and the EU where users can only join once they turn 16. This is meant to ensure that only kids who are equipped to handle mature content and the potential risks of unmoderated online interactions on Tumblr.
Tumblr also has some rules in place for users under 18 and the type of content they can access. For example, only users who are 18 or older can see content that has been flagged as explicit.
However, the ages outlined in the Terms of Service are ultimately just guidelines based on generalizations. As a parent, you may have a better understanding of whether or not your child is truly prepared to engage with the platform.
Note that there are no mechanisms to verify a user’s age on Tumblr. This means that kids can easily bypass the minimum age requirement simply by lying about their age during account creation.
How to Keep Your Kids Safe on Tumblr
You can help create a safer environment for your kid on Tumblr by following these tips:
1. Install a Good Quality Parental Control App
Tumblr doesn’t have built-in parental controls, so I recommend using a top-notch parental control app to monitor and control your kid’s activities on the app and site. Here are some of the things that a good parental control app can do to make Tumblr safer:
- Content monitoring. Some apps can scan content your kid comes across on Tumblr and alert you when they detect anything inappropriate. Bark scans your child’s posts, chats, photos, quotes, and links, and sends you a snippet of any potentially dangerous content.
- Time limits. Set daily screen time limits to control how long your child spends on Tumblr, reducing the risk of overuse or addiction.
- Scheduled access. Restrict access to Tumblr during specific times of the day, such as during school hours, homework time, or bedtime, to prevent distractions or loss of sleep.
- Web filtering. Filter out malicious links or links to inappropriate sites in Tumblr posts and messages.
- Block Tumblr. If you don’t think your child is ready to use the platform, you can block both the app and web version of Tumblr entirely.
- Activity reports. Get detailed reports showing how much time your child spends on Tumblr and what times of day they’re using it.
2. Create Your Kid’s Tumblr Account For Them
Many of Tumblr’s safety features are based on the age users provide when creating their accounts.
But Tumblr doesn’t ask for age verification, which means your kid can just lie to circumvent the very few restrictions that are in place on the app. Creating your kid’s Tumblr account for them can mitigate this issue.
The problem with this is that a determined kid can still create another account behind your back. Also, keep in mind that you don’t really need an account to browse Tumblr (though you won’t see the full scope of the content if you don’t have one).
3. Adjust the Content Preferences on Your Kid’s Account
Tumblr offers various ways for users to curate the types of content they see on the platform. You can filter specific tags, such as #nsfw or #18+, or set it so that the app doesn’t show you any posts that contain your filtered word or phrase.
To set filters for tags and post content on your kid’s account:
- Log into Tumblr and click Settings in the menu on the left hand side.
- You’ll land on the Account tab. Now scroll down to the Content you see section and start adjusting the various filters and settings.
However, note that all Tumblr’s tag and content filters do is warn the user if a post contains a filtered tag or filtered content. Your kid can still view these posts by clicking the View post button. There’s also nothing stopping your kid from changing the tag and content filters themselves.
Under content preferences, you’ll also find settings for posts with content labels (Mature, Drug and alcohol addiction, Violence, and Sexual themes), and a toggle to Hide additional potentially mature content, which will hide posts that use tags related to mature content and blogs that are marked mature.
But you don’t actually need to change either of these settings, because all posts with content labels and posts that fall under the Hide additional potentially mature content toggle are automatically hidden from users under age 18 and there’s no way around this — this is why it’s important to ensure that your kid’s Tumblr account has their actual age.
4. Adjust the Privacy Settings on Your Kid’s Account and Blog
If you’re concerned about your kid’s privacy on Tumblr, you can adjust the platform’s various privacy settings. In your kid’s account settings, you can change whether or not others can see their status, and stop Tumblr from using their search history to provide personalized recommendations. To do so:
- Log into Tumblr and click Settings on the left menu.
- In the menu on the right hand side, select the Privacy tab and adjust the settings as you see fit.
You can also adjust the privacy settings for your kid’s blog. This allows you to hide your child’s blog from Tumblr search and recommendations, reduce the chances that your child’s blog shows up on search engines, and more. To change these settings:
- Log into Tumblr and click Settings on the left menu.
- On the right hand side of the page, under Blogs, select your child’s blog.
- Scroll down to the Visibility section and adjust the settings as you see fit.
5. Control Who Is Allowed to Interact With Your Kid
By changing your child’s blog settings, you can limit the number of people who can message them or reply to their posts. For example, you can set it so that only Tumblrs (users) that your kid is following will be able to start conversations with them. To do so:
- Log into Tumblr and click Settings on the left menu.
- On the right hand side of the page, under Blogs, select your child’s blog.
- Scroll down to and adjust the settings under Replies, Mentions, Ask, Submissions, and Messaging.
In the same settings menu under Blocked Tumblrs, you can also block other users by typing in their usernames. Blocked users won’t be able to follow your kid’s blog, message them, see their posts, mention them, etc. I recommend teaching your kid how to use this function, so they have the tools to remove toxic users independently.
6. Install Antivirus Software
Installing good antivirus software on your kid’s device helps protect them in case they click on a malicious link in a Tumblr post or message. It’ll also scan every file your child downloads from the site and block any malware.
Norton is my favorite antivirus in 2024 due to its 100% malware detection rate and excellent web protection.
7. Talk to Your Kid
None of the tools mentioned above are a substitute for having an open and honest conversation with your kid about your concerns and teaching them basic online safety rules, such as not oversharing, avoiding unfamiliar links and attachments, etc.
You should also try to stay involved with your kid’s digital life by showing an interest in their blog and encouraging them to talk to you about interesting things they see on Tumblr. This fosters trust, making it more likely they’ll confide in you regarding any problems they encounter on the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tumblr allow adult content?
Yes — Tumblr doesn’t allow visual depictions of sexually explicit acts, but nudity and posts containing non-visual but sexually subjective subject matter (such as erotic writing) are allowed. However, this type of content is required to have an appropriate content label, such as Mature or Sexual Themes, so users who don’t wish to see adult content can filter it out.
Can kids be on Tumblr?
Yes, kids are allowed to use Tumblr if they meet the minimum age requirement for their region. This is 13 in the US, and 16 in the EU or the UK. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Tumblr is appropriate for 13-year-olds. As a parent, you should weigh the potential risks and benefits of Tumblr, as well as your child’s level of maturity, when deciding whether or not to allow them on the platform.
Also, note that Tumblr doesn’t ask you to verify your age, so a younger child can join Tumblr simply by lying about their birth date.
Does Tumblr have built-in parental controls?
No, Tumblr doesn’t have built-in parental controls. It has some protections in place to hide mature content from underage users and allows users to set their own content preferences, but these restrictions are extremely easy to circumvent. For this reason, I strongly recommend getting a third party parental control app to help monitor your kid’s Tumblr activities.
How do I block inappropriate content on Tumblr?
There are several ways to block inappropriate content on Tumblr. The easiest way is simply to ensure that your child’s account has their actual age. Tumblr automatically blocks most adult content for users under the age of 18. But you can also adjust the content preferences on your kid’s account for more control over the types of content they see.
