questingqueer:

One frustrating thing about not being able to disable safe mode is not being able to look at blogs marked as NSFW at all.

When Tumblr has you marked as a minor, NSFW blogs are allowed to follow you but you can’t see them back.

You can only see that a NSFW blog is following you, but you have no more information on them then their URL because you can’t see any content on their blog, or even the blog’s description.

This creates a power imbalance. The adults can look at you, but you can’t look at the adults. You can’t tell why they’re marked NSFW. Are they a porn blog looking at your selfies? A pedophile blog? A harmless blog that reblogs nudes on occasion?

Anyone can mark their blog NSFW and therefore prevent minors from being able to see their content, effectively shielding them from view and criticism, no matter the potentially offensive, dangerous, or harmful content or intentions of the blogowner.

Minors therefore have little control over who follows them. Either they block every blog following them marked as NSFW, or they leave it to chance and don’t block any, hoping the blog is benign.

(Ok to reblog)