Tumblr: Homogeneity and heterogeneity, production and reproduction of expenditure

Abstract

This paper endeavours in comprehending the processes of production and reproduction of content in the social networking site Tumblr under the guise of Battaile's theory of expenditure and the aspects of homogeneity and heterogeneity in post-totalitarian societies. The main focus is the analysis of blogs connected trough the social networking site Tumblr, in a diverse rage of categories, from the amateuristic production of content to the reproduction of culture media products, but always concern with the transgressor nature of the apropriation of pornographic and/or erotic ideas.

Tumblr Facts: Antecedents of Self-Disclosure across Different Social Networking Sites

“…Instead, the process of structuring the online identity on Tumblr relies on a combination of features and takes place through the creation of blog posts, the reblog of various types of content already present in the network, the utterly customizable blog aesthetic (or theme ), the use of tags, and, in particular, through the About Me and Bio pages, in which they can freely decide which information to include, without a pre-established format [ 7 , 23 ]. Furthermore, using the tag system—which allows both spaces and punctuation—it is possible to relate directly to the content without necessarily having to interact with other users [ 7 , 19 , 24 ]. Therefore, Tumblr users are offered peculiar identity experimentation opportunities [ 17 , 22 , 25 ], which could lead them to engage in disclosing aspects of themselves that would not be easily expressed in conditions of greater recognition, like offline interaction or less anonymous SNSs, such as Facebook [ 18 , 21 ].…”

“…Through this option, a user can quickly insert any type of content found in the network into their blog, with the possibility of adding a comment, an image, or another link, often to highlight some specific aspect or to relate it to others; moreover, every time content is added, a wording automatically appears under it that reveals the source from which it was obtained. This feature is relevant because it makes user participation an integral part of the success of both the content and the platform itself, where not only does participation mean the creation of content but also interaction with it [ 19 , 24 ]. Alongside the reblog , the comment, and the Like , other possibilities of direct interaction between users are the private chat and the Ask .…”