⤷ Debunking @/tiredofagerevommunity takes—
Requested by @maesfaewell !
“Minors are no where near adult communities that are strictly centered around bdsm.”
I think there was a misspelling, probably supposed to be “shouldn’t be nowhere near” so I will consider that in my answer. It is a correct statement, minors shouldn’t be involved in kink or adult spaces, unfortunately you are using this argument in a very incorrect comparison. Age play and Age regression ARE NOT the same thing, you cannot claim that they are the same experience because they aren’t. By definition Ageplay is defined as “A subsection of BDSM that involves someone roleplaying as a different age, usually that one of a young child”, it is not a shift within mental spaces, it is not a change in one’s internal age perception, its simply roleplay (which I find disturbing but I digress). Age regression is a well documented coping mechanism, Freud wrote about the various forms one would use regression as a coping strategy, it is (most times) an involuntary reaction to things that trigger, overwhelm or stress out your brain, making it react by regressing to a younger state, its not always comforting, it can be challenging and upsetting as some of us can experience feeling on “survival mode”. Agere ITS NOT a kink, and ANYONE regardless of age can experience it!!!
“Groomers and pedophiles lurking within the cgl and abdl community aren't able to cause any danger to them and their content won't overlap with anyone's kinks or fetishes within the 18+ community. (Minors won't be sexualized)”
I don’t understand the point being made? Do you agree that cgl/abdl circles CAN and most likely HAVE groomers and pedophiles in it? If that’s what you mean, yeah I agree, another reason for minors to stay away from those spaces. But, even with that I really disagree with the logic used (and how this relates to agere), as explained before, agere does not equal ageplay, so why you insist on clumping them together? (See explanation above for why they are different) Second of all, “aren’t able to cause any danger and their content won’t overlap with anyone’s kinks(…)”? How are you so sure? Most abusers aren’t just lurking on barely-legal content, they are actively invading kids spaces, pretending to be minors, so they can be away with those crimes, it is dangerous for these people to be ANYWHERE!
“A child using age regression as a form of therapy without a licensed professional isn't in therapy. Age regression under hypnosis isn't a treatment used anymore. As it's very dangerous and in this time and age we've found better ways to help. Any minor posting pictures of themselves with a pacifier in their mouth and a stuffed animal claiming it's only for coping purposes is abusing their coping mechanism.”
Gonna break this down into 3 main points:
1) Yes, Agere isn’t therapy, is a coping mechanism, its not something one chooses to do for fun but to actively cope with what’s going on in their life, just like smoking or making jokes of your problems or repressing trauma, yes, one can partake in smoking (example) for social reasons or because they just feel like it, but the habit itself comes from a place of needing to cope. Further more, people that age regress or are permakids can be autistic, DID/OSDD, have personality disorders etc. All of those impact how your internal age develops. BPD individuals often report that coping mechanism. (linked here). Not to mention people who are cognitively impaired or have brain damage, which can also affect their understanding of their own internal age. So yet again, it is not a kink, it’s just another way of reacting to trauma and other conditions. Also means, minors who are disabled can experience these symptoms.
2) Yeah, hypnotic age regression isn’t used anymore, hypnosis itself isn’t used much if at all in psychology. But, age regression goes beyond the hypnotic therapy, it is a brain made protection, not a therapy plan like you claim. It is up to the patient and therapist to decide whether or not this coping mechanism is being detrimental or not, not an internet stranger.
3) “abusing” a coping mechanism by posting a picture isn’t abusing anything. You cannot know how that person copes, what works, what doesn’t. That person could be trying to overcome self harm, addiction, an obsessive thought (I see you OCD folks) etc. To claim that something as innocent as a photo is proof of someone actively misusing a coping mechanism is so egregious. We all use coping skills, we pick the ones that are better suited for your realities and what doesn’t harm us or others. I do think minors should avoid showing themselves on the internet, but damn, it’s a plush toy, theres nothing obscene or unhealthy about that.
“Most minors don't have a solid sense of who they are yet. Although this could be a phase whether or not you're a minor or an adult minors are still in school and figuring out what they're going to do with their life career wise. Minors posting age regression content can interfere with their future life choices regarding this. US copyright laws says "breif excerpts of copyright material may, under circumstances, be quoted verbatim for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, or research without the need for permission from the copyright holder" This means any content you post on social media people can use without a way for you to get it taken down. As a minor this is really important especially when not everyone sees the difference between age regression vs kink. You never know where your content will be.”
If you claim “not everyone sees the difference between age regression vs kink” why do you insist is kink affiliated? Anyway, yes, a minor can be using this coping mechanism just for a while, coping mechanisms don’t need to be forever, but ANYTHING you post online can “interfere with your future”, is more about how you choose to handle the consequences of your actions. Minors aren’t ignorant, they can understand the concept of consequences even if they aren’t experienced in the nuances and complexities of life, the can still choose to take down those pages/accounts once they grow up or decide not to, if a job doesn’t want them because of their internet history, well damn, I think most people would be unemployed. It’s is a very strawman argument tbh.
“Minors are still underneath the authority of their parents. They are not able to consent to this content. The law says that it is illegal to display obscenity in a matter that makes it available to those under 18. Age regression today on social media looks no different from CGL or ABDL on social media. Therefore if you are 18 years old or older and you follow kink accounts, buy from 18+ kink shops, or use kink related hashtags and you allow minors to follow you then you are exposing them to obscene material and you can go to jail for a federal offense. You are not responsible for minors. Directing them on how to be safe around an 18+ community just because they claim to be non kink is wrong.”
Although recognize how minors are still under guardianship by law, and how I agree that people that follow kink accounts and use kink hashtags shouldn’t be interaction with minors. I still feel this point is unfair and accusatory. Most adults buy from kink shops due to lack of options and won’t promote minors to buy from those shops. You are not exposing children to obscene material by posting a photo of pacifiers and baby toys. And again, the agere community is for all ages, we really care about the safety of minors in the internet, but we are not posting 18+ content, it is non kink because, I have explained may times, it simply isn’t. You cannot sexualize something into being a kink when by nature it is not.