A think a formative event for me was being called a pedophile online by adults when I was 14 for shipping an age gap couple of 16/25. (Fictional characters, btw) Instead of like, taking me aside and explaining why engaging with that ship was putting me a 14y/o in danger. It freaked me out so much that when an adult was sexually inappropriate with me I didn't tell anyone about it because I was afraid of getting in trouble. And this was pre-tumblr too. Shit went down on DeviantART. This was in like 2003. I logged out at the height of the bullying and didn't change a thing.
Looked at my old da account recently, (thank you internet archive) and the thing that really gets me is that its so obviously the da of a 14 year old, and not even a particularly talented one so theres no way anyone thought i was older then i was. Oh and I put my fucking age in my bio.
Anyway anyone else notice how we dog pile has gotten way way worse in the last 23 years? Maybe think about that next time you're dogpileing someone.















