How we've normalized the fetishization of Mental illness within Internet Fandoms
Something I've been noticing recently is the uphill climb of romanticization, sexualization, and fetishization surrounding mental illness or mental health issues within internet fandom spaces (especially on Tumblr).
This concept isn't new by any means and has been an ongoing issue within online fandom communities for years; often creating unsafe spaces for those struggling with mental illness and younger audiences.
But I've noticed an odd pattern dating as far back as 2017- And that's the normalization of romanticizing mental illness, especially in spaces with younger audiences (under the age of 18).
Introduction: Defining Alternate Universes
First off, lets define what romanticization, sexualization, and fetishization is and what it means in fandom communities as a whole;
Romanticization: the act of perceiving or representing something as being more appealing, exciting, or ideal than it actually is; involves focusing on the positive or idealized aspects while downplaying or ignoring negative or realistic ones. [src]
Sexualization: the act of making something, often a person, seem more sexual than it should be, often by focusing on their physical appearance and sexuality while disregarding their other qualities. [src]
Fetishization: the act of making someone or something the object of excessive, often sexual, attention and desire, sometimes to the point of objectification or reduction to a stereotype. [src]
In fandom spaces, especially online, audiences of varying ages, races, sexual identities, genders, and overall backgrounds are naturally subjected to other's interpretations of a media.
Unfortunately, these alternative interpretations often reduce the depth of the media; creating stereotypes that reflect a simpler form to create comfort in the eyes of other, specific demographics (for example: shipping characters together to reflect one's own sexuality, even if the media depicts a "canon" relationship featuring the different characters of the same media).
In hindsight, these alternative interpretations usually aren't formed to cause harm, but instead pacify certain viewers as they indulge in a more comforting form of a favored media.
However, as we'll see later on, these comfort "AUs" (Alternate Universes) are sometimes exploited by individuals with ill-intentions, predators, and/or other unhealthy peoples.
Chapter One: A New Issue within Fandoms
I've noticed a new and unique issue within online fandom spaces. And it's how people, especially younger individuals (13-17), have seemed to be especially prone to romanticizing mental illness or "edgy" characters.
Part of this comes from our new "day and age" of accessible internet without any real regulations for minors.
and PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT suggesting that a higher power (e.g. the government, of all things) should be responsible for internet regulations in any way, shape, or form. However, we are also in such an odd position due to the lack of protections, or at least educational supports for minors so that they can be prepared to look at more mature medias. Because a lot of the time their first impressions of a media are from fandom spaces, as they are the easiest to access due to social media.
As we've already understood; romanticization is the act of perceiving or representing something as being more appealing, exciting, or ideal than it actually is. It comes from a place rooted in emotions; a place that is most misunderstood due to the very human depths behind it.
I believe younger audiences are one of the most susceptible demographics to fall into romanticization because of the lack of understanding of their bigger, stronger emotions. If they see a media delve into a deep struggle that is meant to promote introspection of real emotions and often traumatic concepts, sometimes the easiest way to cope with it will come from reducing the impact by deflecting the negative emotions that comes from the depicted theme with an idealized reality.
Again, this practice isn't specific to minors, as it's actually incredibly normal to have an escapism mindset when faced with themes that are hard to work through [src]. It just becomes harmful when we forget or are unaware that what we are doing is a coping mechanism.
Chapter Two: Now What?
One word: Education! If we were able to normalize unhealthy patterns then we have the same power to normalize healthier ones! That's not to say we have to filter out escapism in fandoms of course, as it's actually not a bad mechanism in of itself to begin with. AUs and "headcanons" also allow for new, fresh ideas to be thrown around which can create a stronger sense of community and understanding, especially in minority demographics (e.g. poc, disability, lgbtq+).
Conclusion
There will never be one grand solution to issues within online fandoms, spaces are too big and unmanaged to truly kick bad habits, but I feel as long as we do our part to promote understanding, empathy, and root causes for certain behaviors, that over time we can make certain spaces a little safer to navigate.
But that's just what I think; a local internet stranger! Feel free to say whatever your two cents are :]
happy disability pride month to mean cripples, nasty addicts, people with down syndrome who arent nice and talk constant shit, wheelchair users that WILL run you over, autists that dont care and arent about to pretend to, people who lie to their psychiatrists, people that sit on the floor in public places with no benches, amputees that lie profusely about "what happened"; to the "noncompliant", the "drug seeking", the "mean", the "difficult" and the "undeserving", and so on and so forth, i love us all and we deserve the world actually mwah mwah
NOTICE FOR PSYCHOTIC PEOPLES LIKE ME AND THE NEW TOMODACHI LIFE: Please please pretty pretty please be careful while playing Living the Dream, esp if youâre currently unmedicated!!!
The game treats the Miis like theyâre real people and makes zero mention ever that they are not, and only ever refers to them and their POV as if they are real and you are their caretaker! While playing this honestly messed with my head pretty badly at times and made me worry a lot on if I was hurting real people/not doing enough for real people while I was playing!
I cannot imagine how much worse this would be for someone whoâs unmedicated, non-dormant, or experiencing breakthrough symptoms! Do please be careful and PLEASE remember to have a way to reality check yourself while playing the game!!!
Also: If youâre not psychotic, please reblog this anyway!!! It may not seem like a big deal to you but these kinds of things are REALLY important to know for us psychotic folk in a world that is both hostile and negligent to us and our needs!!!
*Not something that effects me, (likely because i have more "episodic" psychotic symptoms and Im currently in a good mental state), but something to be aware of! You can also have similar reactions as someone with OCD, etc,.
I remember when I was younger every time I played harvest moon and came back to it to an animal having passed etc,., I would feel really bad.
The game IS fun but as a person with symptoms like these that thinks they may act up while playing the game, please be careful when doing so and possibly have someone or something around you that can remind yourself that you are not alone and your miis aren't real people! You aren't actually hurting or neglecting anyone! Please enjoy Tomodachi Life carefully!
in relation to my last reblog, as someone with pretty bad OCD (harm and moral +magical thinking) with really poor insight, I've really found most mental health spaces online to not be welcoming to me in the slighest. Other than people with *similar* OCD symptoms, really the only spaces I've felt safe discussing my symptoms in full with in a way that didn't feel like judgement or like I'm some kind of "interesting" performance for others to watch and learn from, have been people with schizospec disorders/psychosis.
I will always fight for my friends and people with schizospec disorders and psychotic symptoms because a lot of you wil see a hint that someone experiences the slightest bit of unreality or bad insight of reality and start shitting your pants.
I've been in spaces where people are discussing the harsh symptoms of their adhd, autism, depression, what have you, in active conversation. But the moment I walk in asking if I can share my own experiences with false beliefs, intrusive thoughts or moments where I couldn't tell reality from truth, almost without fail I'm met with someone saying "actually can we not." "I dont want to hear that." etc etc. It's always written so fast and frantic too. Because it's a fear responce, you're scared of what I might say or do if you dont shoot me down fast enough. You're scared of me. You're scared of them and you're scared of us and we can tell.
So yeah, having just found out about literally everything that has gone on with Gooseworx, and reflecting on the show itself, I feel very nauseous about it all and canât, in good conscience, support the show or the team anymore. Iâm disappointed that it took me this long to find out about it, but all I can do now is just separate myself from it. More than anything, Iâm disappointed in the cast for not speaking out about or against any of this, and more so at Gooseworx for DOING all of this. Itâs all fucked up and I have nothing more to say. I donât know if itâs my place to criticize anyone as a white person but frankly I donât care, I wonât be one of the fans speaking over Black fans, saying that none of this happened or that theyâre âmaking shit upâ as FunkyFrogBait so eloquently said (sarcasm) when Gooseworx was being rightfully called out. I donât have a platform, but that doesnât mean I shouldnât speak out about this. To the few people this may reach, I hope youâll look further into this, and I hope you too will retract your support for this show.
