Fatal Fantasy

It's Not a Joke

 This is a subject I feel the need to speak up about.  As you must have noticed by now, many, many stories here on Quotev deal with themes of things like depression, rape, self harm, abuse, and mental disorders.  And, quite frankly, I am very angry about them. 

 Do not misunderstand me.  I am not saying I dislike stories that deal with those types of things.  In fact, I am very happy every time I find such a story that can accurately portray these subjects.  They are deep and interesting to me.  However, the vast majority of the stories that use these subjects are far from accurate.  It angers me every time I see a story that involves one of these things, but then makes it completely unrealistic.  You have probably noticed these situations before:

 Rape victims who are immediately willing to get physical with the first guy who can string together some compliments.

 Depressed people who either show no signs of depression, or, if they do, lose them instantly when they get a boyfriend.

 Those who self harm that seem to have no thoughts whatsoever about what they are doing to themselves.

 When mental disorders are treated as small personality quirks, and even 'cute'.

 I can't stand stories like this.  Thousands if not millions of real people deal with these issues.  How do you think they feel when they find a story that treats their depression as if it's nothing?  Or how about a story that makes it seem like rape doesn't have any trauma and consequences attached to it?  Or the ones that make self harm out to be a choice, when reality it becomes like an addictive drug? 

 Then we have the stories that have depression, bullying, abuse from parents, and self harm all wrapped up into one story.  That would be angst.  And of course, it is terribly portrayed.  Abuse doesn't just  go completely unnoticed!  After a while, people are going to realize something is up.  The author describes their character as having so many cuts and bruises, yet when they go to school, you expect me to believe no one notices?  You also expect me to believe that the entire school is bullying one specific girl for no known reason, and that the teachers just don't notice any of this?

 These are serious issues.  They shouldn't be carelessly thrown into a story simple to add drama.  Inaccurate depression does not go into the place of an actual personality.  Rape can not just be an excuse to further the plot, only to be forgotten two chapters later when she's suddenly fine again because her boyfriend comforted her for five seconds.  It is rare that anyone will magically swoop in at the last second to save a girl from a pervert, so don't just use a scene like that as forced relationship development.

 I can't stand stories like that because they make these serious issues out to be minor things that can be carelessly thrown around as if they mean nothing.  If you are not going to accurately portray these scenarios and situations, then don't write them.  It's not a joke.