Looking Back at 2014: Tumblr's Golden Age

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy reminiscing on the past years of the 2010s. Why? Simply because of nostalgia. For teenagers, 2014 was the year of indie-alternative; or as most of us remember it—the Tumblr era

To set the tone, enjoy this playlist filled with alternative/indie pop will take you on a trip down memory lane, unlocking all the forgotten memories during your Tumblr phase.

When purchased by Yahoo in 2013, analytics were booming. In the next year and a half, Tumblr was at its peak. The audience grew and the number of blogs and visitors combined increased to more than 420 million. By the end of 2014, there were 213 million total blogs registered on Tumblr with 97.2 billion total posts published.

Undoubtedly so, the Tumblr era was a pivotal moment in social media's cultural aesthetics. Wedged in teenage angst, for most that are stuck between the millennial and Gen Z ages, this was their coming-of-age time in history. The platform remarkably influenced our identities, we were all introduced to a widespread of different aesthetics, but most prevalent at the time, the soft grunge aesthetic. All striving to become the perfect “Tumblr Girl,” this had impacted 2014’s style, music, and internet persona. 


Fashion and Music 

If the Tumblr era were to be described in colors, it would be black and white, flushed with cool undertones— just like its fashion and album art. For alternative/indie aesthetics, the soft grunge era was rebelliously known to bring out your edgy personality. Timely fashion staples revolved around the infamous retail brand, American Apparel. From denim jackets and black skinny jeans to tennis skirts and chunky boots. 

This remained the same for 2014 Tumblr music. The internet had most of us listening to artists such as The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Halsey, and much more. As adults, we have either forgotten this phase or never grown from it.

Source: Tumblr


“Fitting in”

In our adolescent years, many of us struggled to find a strong sense of identity before we hit our 20s. Due to the influence of social media platforms such as Tumblr, we were all driven to a certain identity group. Finding a sense of belonging can be difficult when you’re growing up. Tumblr became an outlet for people to express themselves and find like-minded peers. Although it was a source of inspiration, it was detrimental due to the harsh portrayal of beauty standards.

As we all know, trying to surpass traditional beauty expectations and body image on the internet is something a lot of young women struggle with— especially during this time in Tumblr. This negative impact is still being challenged to this day. At the time, young women wanted to look just like Kylie Jenner in her “blue hair phase,” but we also had other models such as Euphoria star Barbie Ferreira, who became the face of body positivity in the Tumblr era.

Source: @kyliejenner & @barbieferreira on instagram


More than just soft grunge

Even though 2014 teenage angst is what we first think of in Tumblr core, the micro-blogging site constituted different communities and subcultures as well. Because of its popularity, the early ages of Tumblr accepted every niche you can think of. This included every fandom, from films to music and aesthetics such as the “Pink Aesthetic,” “Kawaii,” “Hipster,” and “twee/indie sleaze.”


Some believe the speculation going around that 2014 will be the next to make a comeback this year. Unlike the Y2K age, the early 2010s Tumblr space is a part of past modern society that hasn't been overdone in trend cycles. Whether or not we’re ready to embrace the return of these aesthetics, looking back at the Tumblr era bears a nostalgic time for edgy teens—when nothing mattered besides fantasizing about the teenage dream.

Are you ready for the return of Tumblr? Leave a comment below.