Y’know, potentially controversial opinion here, but I’ve been seeing some of this discourse going around on how people wish younger fans commented more.
Now, hear me out, but perhaps part of their hesitance is their taught desire to offer criticism first and foremost, only to realize that that was a social faux pas in fandom spaces, and resorted to what they knew; leaving a kudos and walking away.
I keep on thinking about the fact that, at least for me, when I had to comment on someone’s writing in school, I HAD to point out all their flaws and then maybe give a smiley face or something. I certainly didn’t write “omg that’s so cute xoxo” on someone’s essay on the Grapes of Wrath. So, in essence, when i liked something, all i would do is, essentially, give a kudos and walk away. I had nothing else to say. I was never taught how to praise, only to criticize.
And to some extent, maybe there’s some fear involved too; fic writers will write “please leave a like and a comment, i love comments! <3″ and so, being the duitiful Peer Editor that younger fans were taught to be, they point out all their little grammar errors or typos, question the sentence flow and plot holes, and then end it saying “but i really liked it!”
And, totally understandably, because this is a hobby and not schoolwork, fic writers would take it as an offense, and fire back with a “i asked for COMMENTS, not CRITICISM” and younger fans, confused, are like “but you’re writing...and you asked for comments...surely you want to be told how to do it better [to get a better grade]?” And this miscommunication is devastating for both sides.
Older fans see it as their fun hobby being attacked by people taking it too seriously, younger fans see it as yet another Catch-22 from adults; writers saying “i love comments!” followed by, what they interpret as “How dare you give me comments that aren’t praise!” and that just doesn’t compute.
Now, i don’t mean to speak for everyone; surely, the age barrier is not a hard and fast rule here, and perhaps this is a neurodivergent thing (”obviously, telling people how to do things better is just to help them!” -The fatal mistake of my youth), and i am coming exclusively from the perspective of a consumer, not a creator, but I felt like it was worth saying.
