While many social media fads have come andgone in the past decade, few have had the addicting power found on Tumblr. Theis website has quickly grown in popularity amongst Staples students this year.

At first glance, Tumblr looks just like any other blogging website. Like other websites it has posts organized in chronological order consisting of text, images, or videos. However, Tumblr is actually part of a new form of blog called a “microblog.” This smaller version of a blog consists of short quotes, simple pictures, or anything that can be conveyed quickly. It has the speed of twitter without the limitations.

For some students, the reason for shifting from Facebook to Tumblr is obvious.

“I think everyone is getting over the Facebook ‘high’ and they’re looking for other things to do,” Jillian Bosshardt ’11 said. “I mean there are only so many statuses you can like without it getting a little monotonous.”

Facebook has other limitations that have made Tumblr more attractive.

“Unlike Facebook, Tumblr isn’t blocked from school,” Jessica Guo ’12 said. “I’m not going to lie: class is pretty boring sometimes.”

While there is an overlap in users, both websites serve very different purposes.

“Since I’ve created a Tumblr, I’ve been going on Facebook significantly less. However, I don’t consider what I do on Tumblr to be social networking,” Anya Rosen ’12 said.

Tumblr is less about connecting with people than it is about finding cool pictures, funny jokes, and general publishing purposes.

Every person’s Tumblr is different, and the platform can be used for a variety of purposes.

For example, Connor McCann ’14 uses his to showcase his artwork. Through Tumblr, he can get feedback from other artists and find other art.

“I’ve basically been working on my comics and then sticking them into drawers for most of my life,” McCann said. “Having feedback and critiscm from people is really nice.”

For others, Tumblr is all about collecting. Through the “reblog” feature, users can take the creations of others and post them on their own pages. This not only lets the user save the picture for later viewing, but also lets them share the picture with their friends.

The website also has its own culture. As the site solidifies its presence on the internet, it has started to attract users with similar interests. Many posts fall under the category of the artistic culture. Heavily photo–shopped photography, posts about independent rock bands, and jokes about hipsters are commonplace in the Tumblr universe.

“I think everybody wants to say they have a Tumblr because, deep down, they have an urge to be slightly artsy and feel cooler than the person next to them who does not have one,” Sofia Ribolla ’12 said.

There is also room on Tumblr for comedy. Through meme photos, or photos that display an Internet inside joke, users are able to post their own jokes or pictures they find funny.

“I love scrolling through my own Tumblr and laughing out loud,” Ribolla said.

Each Tumblr can even have its own theme. The themes of Tumblrs can range from interior design to anti-speciesism. Some are even used based on the time of year.

“One of [my Tumblrs] is summer themed,” said Guo. “It really helped me get through our cold winter this year.”

For whatever message users want to convey, Tumblr has become one of the more popular ways for Staples students to make themselves heard.