i don’t think anyone will care for this very much but i’d like to reiterate something something that i’ve said time and time again because this is very important to me as someone who has experienced something like this:

indie creators are not your friends nor are they your idols.

no matter how small they are in terms of platform and no matter how much they interact with their audience. YOU DO NOT KNOW THESE PEOPLE.

especially in this day and age where younger creators are starting to get spotlit a lot more often + have easier access to big platforms, they are much more vulnerable to parasocial people now than ever before.

to be friendly ≠ to be friends with someone. yes people will become friends with indie creators occasionally but this is not one of those situations. putting people on a pedestal ultimately results in them getting harassed in a multitude of ways, and i have seen young creators do terrible things to themselves because of this type of attention

i think with myth gaining a lot more traction as an interactive experience, everyone as a collective needs to learn how to BEHAVE on the internet even if it isn’t a majority of people that are saying inappropriate things. as much as connection in online spaces is very valuable and can bring many good things, this type of behavior kills not only a creator’s sense of safety and comfort in a community but also their desire to create and express themselves.

had to say something because although it is the internet and it’s “easy to avoid”, these types of things build up and can affect someone even if you don’t think it does.

think before you speak/act. if you have to question whether it’s weird to say/do, don’t say/do it at all. again, these people are Not Your Friends. they are normal, everyday people just like the rest of us

But I'm in the car

post that makes you consider going 95 mph