facebook losing teens, surprsing no one

[orangerful]

Verge
article on Facebook and Tumblr

Thing I found most intriguing? This quote:

Part of Tumblr’s success is no doubt due to that fact that it’s a place
where you can cultivate two or more identities, whereas on Facebook you’re
stuck with just one: the real you. "It’s a site where you can find people
that are like you and you can feel less alone,"

Pretty much what we've all been doing on Livejournal for AGES now. :) But
everything old is new again. I wonder if this will be the pattern of the
Internet and social media from now on, the rise and fall for the desire to
separate your online identity from your real one.

Comments

[sabrina]

Definitely an interesting article. I actually don't love Tumblr's platform as a 'blogging' platform. I reblog photos there - although to be honest I prefer pinterest for that - but I always find it difficult to have a conversation on Tumblr. It's like - I can see what other people like, I can like it, but I find conversations difficult to participate in and maybe I'm just old fashioned and doing it wrong but I'll stick to LJ/DW for that sort of thing.

[orangerful]

I completely agree. I think that is why it's hard for me to take Tumblr seriously as anything but a place to look at pretty pictures. But my one friend has developed some really good friendships on there...but I think she uses it completely differently. My "followers" on tumblr are mostly LJ people who post pictures of their fandom stuff. She carefully curated her tumblr to be mostly local blogs to her and people who like the same music and see shows near her. So she has made several friends...

But, yes, it's why I won't let go of my LJ/DW accounts until the sites are taken down. You can't have meaningful discussions on tumblr or facebook or twitter.

[sabrina]

I could see it being a lot more useful in that situation, but my Tumblr is much like yours - and it's mostly LJ people, Twitter people, RP friends, fandom stuff - but not so much curated.

I think sometimes I miss the way the internet used to be (lol!) but I feel like I used to make friendships via LJ, but despite the fact that I'm still on LJ I don't use it in the same way - the sense of community has changed (for me), and it's harder to maintain it. I end up feeling like fandom has sort of fractured in ways. When I first joined everything was about mailing lists, then people moved to LJ, and now it's like some people are on LJ, some people are on Tumblr, some people are... somewhere else entirely... I like options, and I have learned to use things in different ways - but I miss the sort of cohesiveness of being able to go to one spot and find community and make friends.