Recently, the popular social media site Tumblr announced that it would be permanently banning all adult content on its platform as of yesterday, and it has caused an uproar. Tumblr is a space for everyone to express themselves and always has been, but now that is being threatened.

A huge part of Tumblr is made up of artwork, photos, and videos that the site might deem “inappropriate.” People will no longer have the freedom to post what they want. Anything that Tumblr deems “adult content” will be restricted, even if it isn’t. This will cause a lot of problems on the site.

With this ban, many people are losing that self-expression that they were promised when they joined, and they aren’t happy about it.

A big part of Tumblr is made up of artwork of all kinds. With the ban, a lot of artwork will no longer be allowed on the site. People will no longer be able to share that artwork with the rest of the world or get positive feedback with others. Tumblr was a place where people could share their artwork with others without judgement or hate. They could share their art no matter what it showed. They could come together and share things with each other. It is what is amazing about the site. You will always be able to find someone like you, who shares your interests and beliefs.

Along with artwork, photos will not be allowed on the site if they show “female-presenting nipples” in any context other than breastfeeding. This can affect the self-confidence of a lot of young women because this shows women that their bodies are inappropriate. Lots of women post photos of themselves because they feel confident about themselves and their bodies. They post them to show progress and self-love.

Other people look at these photos and feel better about themselves seeing other people who look like them. Seeing people you relate to or look like in a positive light can make people more confident in who they are and what they look like. Tumblr should be a place where people are comfortable with who they are and not ashamed of it.

While I believe that the ban is not a good idea, I do think that there needs to be more restrictions on the site. Actual pornography as in “ the portrayal of erotic behavior designed to cause sexual excitement,” has no place on Tumblr, but photos and artwork containing adult content should not be banned altogether. I think that Tumblr should look at every post individually and determine if it really does have a place on the site. Tumblr is a place where everyone can come together no matter what, be comfortable with themselves, and be able to share things about themselves and that should not be taken away.