•⁠ ⁠ᵕ⁠ ⁠•

https://www.wattpad.com/story/393993338?utm_source=android&utm_medium=link&utm_content=story_info&wp_page=story_details_button&wp_uname=PetalBuns
          
          
          
          
          PS : this app is testing my patience (⁠╯⁠ರ⁠ ⁠~⁠ ⁠ರ⁠)⁠╯⁠︵⁠ ⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

"I've got my casual leaves stacked up for days like this." Hoseok said with a wink, which made Jungkook giggle. 
          
          "And what if he still doesn't allow you?" The younger asked, his voice airy with laughter. 
          
          "Then I'll seduce him into giving me leaves with my handsome face. " Hoseok said, making a Flynn rider smolder face, which made the younger become a giggling mess, clapping his hands like a seal. 
          
          
          — The Enemy S2 

https://www.wattpad.com/story/376545066?utm_source=android&utm_medium=link&utm_content=story_info&wp_page=story_details_button&wp_uname=PetalBuns

As much as I want to move on to the next topic, aka the justification of cheating, I don’t wanna bore y’all with too many messages (⁠*⁠_⁠*⁠)
          
          Otherwise, this really will start feeling like a history class lecture.
          
          So let’s talk about it tonight (if y’all are willing) or tomorrow morning :⁠^⁠)
          
          
          And yes, do tell me your thoughts about everything I said. 
          
          It’s a discussion, remember?!

So please, if you’re writing about such topics, at least don’t present them as something admirable or romantic. Show them for what they truly are: harmful, morally wrong, and in many cases, criminal.
          
          
          And please don’t come at me with “but there were warnings saying it’s for adults only.” 
          
          We all know that many readers, especially younger ones, skip those warnings and dive straight into the story.
          
          
          
          So now it’s on us to think more responsibly about the kind of messages we’re putting out there.

Dark romance doesn’t only revolve around non-consensual acts or stalking. There are many other themes to explore, from gore to cannibalism to supernatural entities.
          
          
          And romanticising any harmful act is dangerous, especially when a major audience consuming these books is teenagers. Most of them are still emotionally immature and may not fully distinguish between what is morally right and wrong when such behaviour is constantly presented in a desirable or attractive light.
          
          
          Eve teasing, stalking, non-consensual touching, violent behaviour, and many other harmful acts are increasingly being perceived as “hot” because of how they are portrayed in books and movies.
          
          
          And the fact that this mindset is becoming normalised is genuinely concerning. It can contribute to harmful attitudes and behaviours in real life, including harassment, abuse, and sexual violence. And no, this isn’t something people are just making up. Investigations into certain criminals have shown that the media they consumed did influence their perception of relationships, violence, and consent.

The first one is the romanticisation of non-consensual touching and stalking in the name of dark romance.
          
          
          Like... are those writers even reading what they themselves are writing? Have they ever truly put themselves in their character’s shoes?
          
          
          I don’t think so. Cause if they had, then they wouldn’t be romanticising it the way they do.
          
          Like how tf can someone fall in love with a person who touched them without consent? How??
          .
          And I’m not saying “don’t write about it.” If the plot demands it, then write it. What I’m against is the way it gets romanticised. The way characters doing such things are seen as “hot” just because they’re attractive.
          
          
          I’ve seen comments like “it’s so hot”, “I wish someone would do this to me”, “if only it were me in that situation”, and so on. Like please... this isn’t something people should wish for.
          
          
          Can we please stop glorifying and romanticising such acts under the name of dark romance?

Now, let’s finally start talking about the problems themselves, as well as how they can affect young minds, aka the consequences. And yes, we’ll be discussing everything in detail because these things NEED to be talked about.
          
          Also... I’m a chatterbox, so why not?
          
          
          
          

See... there’s a very thin line between fiction and reality, and that line is blurred far more often than we give it credit for.
          
          
          When we look at history, we realise that art has always been one of the strongest ways to influence people’s mindset and behaviour. Be it a painting, a novel, a poem, or a drama, art has always shaped belief systems, whether we acknowledge it or not.
          
          
          So saying things like “why so sensitive? it’s just art”, “take it lightly, it’s fictional”, and so on, shows a lack of awareness.
          
          Art in any form, fictional or non-fictional, affects the way individuals and even entire masses look at the world, especially works involving violence and sex. And this isn’t just some random statement that I made up. Many artists themselves have acknowledged this.
          
          
          So even after knowing all this, if some writers still refuse to take it seriously and continue serving content that could encourage unacceptable behaviour, especially on an app with such a large number of young people, then no, they don’t deserve to write. They just don’t. And I’ll stand by that till the end.
          
          
          
          And I honestly don’t care if this offends some writers or their followers.
          
          If the shoe fits, then fucking wear it, Cinderella!!

Okk.... So....
          
          
          There are 3–4 major things that I want to talk about, and they’re related to what I’ve seen/read here on this app. We won’t be discussing anything outside this orange app. 
          
          Some people don’t deserve to be writers. They truly don’t.
          
          
          Now, some of you might not like me for saying this. Some might even unfollow or block me. But I’m gonna stand by what I said.
          First, let’s talk about the consequences (all the possible ones, from the most common to the extremes), and then I’ll get to the problems that shouldn’t be normalised but unfortunately are.
          
          
          
          
          If you’re an old reader of mine or have gone through my message board before, then you already know that I’ve mentioned the impact of books on people’s mindsets time and time again. This isn’t the first time I’m addressing why being a writer or an artist in any form makes you powerful, and why it’s important to use that power responsibly.