From Australia to London, hip teens have been creating a common name for themselves on the world wide web – all credit to one little website, www.tumblr.com

 

Tumblr gives them the opportunity to invite people into their world, by opening up a space for them to showcase their interests. By posting photos of celebrities, movies, fashion and images from their own lives (alongside angst-ridden diary entries exploiting their problems) many of them have gained Internet fame. If it isn’t seventeen-year-old Jared, who entertains his audience with YouTube videos, ‘Kawall Queen’ Jasmine Blu, or even aspiring photographer Callum Smith who has caught your eye, then the biggest sovereign of them all, Sunderland’s own Jamie Ryan Dee (aka Jam Jars) might just be the one to follow. He has over a whopping 125,000 followers –and for what? Well, he doesn’t even know why himself… 

 

Name: Jamie Ryan Dee

Age: 16

Followers (@ last count): 125,939

Location: Sunderland, England

URL: jamjars.tumblr.com

 

SS: You are one the most well known faces on Tumblr – when did things start taking off? Was it weird seeing your audience grow by the thousands?

JRD: I’m not sure exactly when things ‘took off‘, but I can say that the more followers I gained, the quicker I gained them. Yeah, I still find it weird, and I still struggle to understand it… mainly because I get all of this attention, yet I don’t have an obvious talent. 

 

SS: Have you been recognised in public? Does your family know how public you are on the Internet?

JRD: Yeah, quite a lot. Usually people don’t approach me though, they just point me out, which can be pretty uncomfortable. I’m always happy to talk to anyone who recognises me and wants to chat though. I tell my mam everything, so she’s aware of the positive and negative stuff that goes on the Internet. She actually enjoys my blog, which is great.

 

SS: Photography seems to be your main interest…

JRD: Yeah, especially people/portrait photography, concert photography and photo editing.

 

SS: … do you think that your mega-audience will benefit you by networking your art?

JRD: Of course. That’s one of the main reasons I’d never delete my blog – having a huge audience will obviously get my photography noticed and my name out there. My Flickr page has had so many views – probably because of my Internet audience, not because of the quality of my photography…

 

SS: Do your real-life interests apply to the things you post on Tumblr?

JRD: Yes – my Tumblr blog is an illustration of everything that interests me. I reblog and post photos of what I like, not what I think others will like.

 

 

 

Name: April Jasmine-blu Herrera

Age: 18

Followers (@ last count): 48,739

Location: San Diego, California

URL: jasmine-blu.tumblr.com

 

SS: You’ve been dubbed the ‘Queen of Kawaii’ on Tumblr – when did you first discover your intense interest in anime?

JB: A queen, eh? How nifty does that sound! I’ve watched anime ever since I was about three or four, like Gundam, Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura. There was also this manga I looked at when I was little – it was too complex to read at the time, but I loved the way it looked. I never learned the name, but I know what it looks like… the quest to find it has been on ever since.

 

SS: Would you say that you live halfway through fantasy and reality? You have a Legend Of Zelda tattoo!

JB: I don’t have it… yet. I do live halfway in fantasy, and it’s really fun! I hate it when people take themselves or others too seriously. As long as you have your priorities straight, there’s no problem with acting childish sometimes!

 

SS: You have recently blogged about “saving up and moving out for college” –what career would you like to pursue? Would your Tumblr followers benefit?

JB: I’m actually going to be pursuing photography. I’d also love to do website building, or something fashion oriented, but photography is my main focus. I would also love love LOVE to do something with anime or Japanese art, but I need to face the facts – I can’t draw! I think it would benefit followers that stick with me, so they can see my progress as I grow up and gain more skills.

 

SS: Do boys ever send you any love letters? Does the digi-era combined with attraction/love weird you out, or do you embrace it?

JB: Oh my goodness, yes! I’ve heard every pick up line in the book. The fact that boys follow my blog is surprising, because of how pink it is! The person who flatters me the most is this grey man – he tells me sweet things everyday. His name is Anonymous, which sucks because I can’t even thank him, but it’s kind of romantic in a chick-flick kind of way to have a person who leaves you secret anonymous love letters. I embrace the fact that “finding love” on the Internet is more acceptable now. It brings me almost to tears watching those meet-up videos – you know, where the couple meets online and they fall in love and meet each other for the first time. It’s really sweet, lovely really.

 

 

 

Name: Cal Smith

Age: 17

Followers (@ last count): 42,625

Location: Northern NSW, Australia

URL: ccal.tumblr.com

 

SS: At what age did you realise that you were obsessed with Nutella? Did you know that it would develop into something so extreme?  

CS: I was really hoping I wouldn’t be asked about this! I have no idea why people think I have an obsession with the delicious spread. I think it was just born out of the many boring weekends where my stomach got the better of what I posted – I guess that translated into an obsession. But then again, isn’t denial the first stage of an addiction?

 

SS: Most of your blog is filled with film photography by hipster kids. Do you aspire to be a party photographer one day yourself?

CS: I’ve never really been interested in commercial photography, but I think casual photography, especially with film, will always be something I’ll want to continue doing. As for the parties, that’s just a common coincidence in the style of photos that I love!

 

SS: When making gifs for your Tumblr page, are they personal to you, or are you thinking about what your followers will want to see?

CS: My gifs are always inspired by what I’m thinking about or interested in at the time, so in that sense they are for me. However, my followers are usually interested in almost the exact same things, so it works out for the both us.

 

SS: What is the weirdest ‘Ask Box’ question you’ve received thus far? 

CS: Besides the usual (“I want to eat your children and wear your pubic hair”), the strangest would have to be an ask I got that lengthily described the anonymous person’s plans for a “sexual ritual” that involved a lot of Nutella in a lot of places. I really couldn’t ask for better followers…

 

 

 

Name: Jared Harley

Age: 17 years old

Followers (@ last count): 15,617

Location: Southern California

URL: radicaljared.tumblr.com

 

SS: What do you think launched you into Tumblr Fame? 

JH: Posting a lot of funny videos, stupid and funny pictures of myself – just making a chill, cool blog. Being funny and interesting helped too.

 

SS: Your YouTube channel’s views are growing by the second, with entertaining videos such as dancing to Khia’s ‘My Neck/Back’ and headbanging to dubstep. Would you want to take things further and act in movies or on TV?

JH: That would be my dream. When I was younger I liked to showcase my personality in school plays and musicals. I really don’t care what people think about me with all my stupid and funny videos I post. Sure, I’m embarrassing myself in them… but hey, you only have one life.

 

SS: Has Tumblr broadened your horizons with interests in different type of subcultures (music, movies, fashion etc)?

JH: Tumblr has definitely changed my opinion on all those kind of things. Tumblr is constantly up to date with the latest trends and what’s going on. It’s a site where one day this is in, and the next it’s out.

 

SS: On your FAQ page you state your sexuality. Is that a response to bullying going on in your Ask box?

JH: Liking another male makes you gay, not liking certain music, or having a sense of style. You shouldn’t feel forced to like something that you don’t like. Do what makes you happy – what makes me happy is liking certain things that most people might not, and many people see that as strange and say, “Oh this guy must be gay”. Just be yourself.

 

 

 

Words: Alex Kazemi