#especially the fandom on other sites and like the insistance on non anonymity

[volixia669]

Internet and Fandom Safety Tips

So due to some discourse about minors in fandom, as well as some things that I’ve seen go on, I’ve noticed a weird divide as to how we’re taught internet safety. My generation/age group of that generation? We were taught to be careful, every stranger on the internet is dangerous, etc. Nowadays? The focus is less on how to be safe on the internet, and more to stay in safe spaces. Which works...When you’re eight. By the time you’re thirteen and allowed on various websites, you’re beyond safe internet spaces. So have some more...helpful tips from one of those who’s been traversing the wild west for awhile.

TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of pedophilia, mention of the nastier aspects of the fandom and internet.

1. NEVER state your age. Ever. Even anonymously. On tumblr. On twitter. If you mention it on facebook, then make your facebook *PRIVATE*. Is everyone on the internet a pedophile? No. Are there pedophiles on the internet just looking for minors? Yep. By not mentioning your age, you are protecting yourself from dangerous situations. Likewise, don’t mention where you live either.

2. Look. It is absolutely no one’s job to protect you from content you don’t want to see. As various people have pointed out, we are adults making content for other adults. This is where tags and filters are your friend. You can filter out the content you don’t want.

3. Use an adblocker if you aren’t already. ESPECIALLY if you’re in any sort of anime/manga fandom. Because you’ll probably end up on sites that either have ads with NSFW content, ads with bordering on NSFW content, or just ads with viruses. Ublock Origin is a solid extension that should prevent any of that. (You should still have an antivirus on your computer.)

4. ANIME/MANGA/OTOME FANS IN PARTICULAR. Look. The guys are pretty. The voices are sexy. But a lot of this stuff is not made for anyone under 18. Or may seem fun now, but you look back and it’s actually pretty toxic.  So there may be weird content, toxic relationships, or NSFW content. Some anime/manga fandoms have fans who are obsessed with “lolis/shotas” which, means things can go south REAL FAST. (Again. Never. Ever. Mention you are a minor.) Enjoy the media, but be very selective with which parts of the fandom you hang out around, and which parts of the fanart/fanfiction you look at.

5. Trigger Warnings. Use them and be aware of them. When other people use trigger warnings, it means you know when something might make you uncomfortable, or might trigger some sort of PTSD or anxiety reaction in yourself. If anything you create might need a trigger warning, then use it. Even a post, like this one, could warrant a warning. Content Warning is another term that is often used.

6. Shipping. Oh boy. Where to even start? First off, it’s perfectly okay to ship characters. That’s just how fandoms operate. Things that are not okay however are...

     a. Dissing people’s ships just because you don’t like the ship. Everyone has different reasons for liking ships. Someone probably doesn’t like your favorite ships. Just respect that everyone ships differently.

     b. Insisting canon ships are the only real ships. Look. I did this when I was young and stupid. But try not to be that person. Sometimes non-canon ships can be more interesting. Sometimes non-canon ships are more canon than the canon ships. (Trust me, it happens) Ships are ships, and people will do what they will.

Also. It should be noted that sometimes people ship unhealthy relationships. There’s plenty of reasons for this. Often they know the relationship is unhealthy. Once again, this is a case of adults making content for adults.

7. This goes for real life as well. Always avoid those who are 18 or older and state that you’re “cool” and want to date you. Often they’ll use phrases like, “You’re so mature for your age.” Those are creeps and pedophiles. Stay away. They don’t actually think you’re mature. They just want someone they can groom.

8. I mentioned at the beginning to never state your age, and emphasized to never state you’re a minor. Never lie and say you’re 18 when you’re not. For several reasons. Creeps may assume it’s legal to DM stuff if you state you’re 18 in your bio. If you tell a website, or server mod you are 18, then for all intents and purposes they have to assume you are 18. Which doesn’t sound like a big deal to you, but websites and discord servers can get in HUGE trouble for allowing underage users to view and use NSFW content. Protect yourself by not lying in those cases.

9. Discord servers are a weird part of the internet. Honestly. If you’re under 18, just avoid the huge 2000 members servers. A lot of weird dangerous stuff can happen. Keep to smaller servers, with mods who keep NSFW stuff in the NSFW channels, and will prevent weird stuff from happening to you. Safety tip! Since you will need to disclose your real age (or just that you’re a minor) I highly recommend using a different username than you use for the rest of your online accounts, and not sharing your social media on the discord server.

There’s all sorts of other topics regarding the internet and fandom, but this is just the basics that should help you out. The internet can be a cool place, but it’s not a safe place. Be wary of strangers. Know that just because it’s mostly adults, it’s not our job to protect you from every little thing. And for the millionth time: NEVER MENTION YOU ARE A MINOR.

#internet safety #fandom #trigger warning #shipping #use adblocker #for the love of god never mention your bloody age #or where you live trust me you don't want stalkers #creeps live on the internet