Internet Gothic
Jun. 10th, 2019 08:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingI was talking to a friend yesterday about how I do my best to surround myself with a nice cocoon of good people on social media, but sometimes I still feel like I'm standing right next to a vast chasm of internet fuckery, and if I turn ever so slightly in the wrong direction I'll catch a glimpse of something no human was meant to see.
I've gotten surprisingly close to some really disturbing things in online fandom. I feel like I spend a lot of time and energy trying to explain and justify why these experiences make me uncomfortable, but I'm starting to realize that perhaps this isn't necessary. I've also found that asking questions and making my objections clear won't achieve anything in the long run, and it's not worth the trouble of inadvertently antagonizing people. There are plenty of people who find energy and personal fulfillment in fighting the good fight to keep online spaces and fandom communities healthy and functional, and I think it might be best to leave the hard work to them.
Meanwhile, I'm going to keep doing what I love while trying not to spend too much time looking in the shadows. Because honestly, some secrets should probably just stay hidden in the internet basement.
I've gotten surprisingly close to some really disturbing things in online fandom. I feel like I spend a lot of time and energy trying to explain and justify why these experiences make me uncomfortable, but I'm starting to realize that perhaps this isn't necessary. I've also found that asking questions and making my objections clear won't achieve anything in the long run, and it's not worth the trouble of inadvertently antagonizing people. There are plenty of people who find energy and personal fulfillment in fighting the good fight to keep online spaces and fandom communities healthy and functional, and I think it might be best to leave the hard work to them.
Meanwhile, I'm going to keep doing what I love while trying not to spend too much time looking in the shadows. Because honestly, some secrets should probably just stay hidden in the internet basement.
