Tumblr is a good social media website because it successfully creates a feeling of privacy and intimacy.¹

• Blogging on Tumblr feels not dissimilar to writing in a personal journal, or curating a personal space that belongs only to yourself. And looking at other people’s blogs feels less like looking at a polished presentation of an ideal self, and more like flipping through someone’s notebook. A Tumblr blog is as much for the user who runs it—if not more for them—than for any given follower.
• The lack of easy access to other users’ follower and following counts removes the competitive pressure that pervades services like Instagram and Twitter, and thus reduces a key metric that can be used to measure the success of influencers. This is part of why there are few if any real influencers on Tumblr.
• The jankiness of Tumblr’s built-in messaging system forces users who want to chat privately to use external services or connect on other platforms, which can further draw those users together and create the kinds of bonds that become platform-agnostic.

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1. Whether or not that privacy is reflected in the company’s actual practices is another story—and kind of beside the point.↩