Apaswright | RANDOM SOUTH PARK STUFF

I follow artists because I love seeing their creativity—drawings, fan art, animations, comics, character designs, and other fanworks. That’s what brightens my feed and inspires me.

I completely understand that art theft, impersonation, and harassment are real problems, and artists have every right to protect their work and use the reporting tools available to them.

At the same time, I don’t always enjoy feeling like I’m being pulled into online conflicts, account manhunts, or public call-out cycles. As a follower, I’m usually just here to appreciate the art and support the creator’s work.

I think there’s room for both: artists standing up for themselves and followers simply wanting a feed that’s centered on creativity. I don’t think those ideas have to be at odds with each other.

I think one of the biggest problems online is when accountability turns into toxicity. Holding people responsible for their actions is important, but encouraging harassment, dogpiling, or treating someone like they can never grow isn’t accountability anymore.

I also think there’s an important difference between accountability and exile. Holding someone accountable for their actions isn’t the same as believing they should be harassed indefinitely or pushed off the internet forever (or worse, suicide). People should be able to learn, grow, and do better without every mistake becoming a permanent part of their identity. As a sports fan myself, I’ve seen this happen with D’Aaron Fox, Tyler Loop, Ja Morant, etc. I also seen a couple YouTubers deal with the same thing. Some never came back. Others returned and redeemed themselves. 😊

Support the art/works. Respect the artist. Leave room for people to enjoy the creativity without feeling like they have to become part of every conflict. We shouldn’t have to feel toxic.