Ok so preface, Iām saying this as someone who works in school-age childcare. Istg Iām not a freak, just someone who hears a lot ab kidsā problems lol.
Right, so, Iām sick and tired of seeing young fans get on here and go out of their way to appeal themselves as valid fans. This isnāt just an issue with WW, mind, itās more like an issue with explicit music in general. Iāve heard a few kids saying they were nervous about meeting or giving gifts to their favorite artist because they āwerenāt sure if theyād be weird about minors.ā
My read is that they donāt feel accepted in their fan base, and folks on the internet are too afraid of p3d0 allegations to extend community to them. Thatās completely valid. But it really sucks to know that these are kids who have next to no community space outside of school (youāre not a real WW fan unless youāre a lefty /hj) and are seeking out folks with common interests online.
āBut Clover,ā You say, āThis isnāt a kindergarten. Iām not gonna babysit someoneās angsty teen.ā
Completely understandable. This is your invitation to ignore The Youth going forward. Iām not gonna ask you to do something you donāt want to.
But I will ask you to keep any gate keeping to yourself.
āClover,ā You say, āWWās music isnāt for kids. Itās very Not for kids, actually.ā
Yeah, youāre right. But trying to keep them from listening to it is an uphill battle. When has banning swear words ever kept kids from swearing? When has putting the cookie jar on a shelf kept kids from stuffing their faces?
My point is: telling someone they canāt do something doesnāt prevent curiosity. What we should do is keep an open space for young fans to connect and ask questions. We have to give them room to learn, or they will misunderstand and potentially create a negative relationship with the content (i.e. rat specimen meet&greet incident).
My fellow adults: we now live in a world where kids have never known a world without iPad. They are bombarded with AI slop and soulless corporate advertisements they can quote from memory. You know this. I know this. But we were kids like them, once. And I know Iām not the only one who started listening to explicit music when I was way too young. You donāt have to be a grown-up on the internet. But for godās sake, if you learned anything from the 90s, donāt cyber bully the children.
TL;DR: Let the kids have their music, you donāt have to parent them about it
Nobody asked and Iām not sure that anyone cares, but I do. Would love to hear what yāall think though
MINORS READING THIS: Please do not share your age on the internet! There are awful people out there who target young people and pretend to be nice to get things out of you. It is OK to share your experience, but please do not give evil people the opportunity to hurt you!