How'd you guys feel about minors enjoying-

Posted 26 days, 21 hours ago by PainterFight

-adult media? (that's supposed to be part of the title, but due to the limit I had to leave it here)

This might be a controversial topic, so be civil about this one:

I've been obsessed with a fictional character lately. Now, this fictional character in question comes from a visual novel... that is meant for 18+ audiences. And that is saying something considering what actually happens to them in their route. (TL;DR: shit's fucked.) While I now feel bad for discovering that visual novel and the character in the first place, I kinda... understand what kind of topics are the writer(s?) trying to tell there. Topics that are not for the faint of heart, and yet, I, a minor, respect it even if I may be a little squeamish.

So... is it a mistake for me (or other minors, for that matter) to like a piece of work that's garnered for mature audiences? I've seen minors who are (or used to be) into Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel (the latter is mostly 16+ because of the Amazon show but still), though my experience with that VN takes it seriously. I'd like to see your guys' opinions when encountering more "dark" topics in mature media in the eyes of when you are younger.

And since this topic might broadly include ANY adult media, keep NSFW to a minimum! I am a minor myself and I want to keep this topic to be visible to other minors. Thank you!

AlmondGames

i mean, what are you supposed to do if a minor likes adult media? stop them? its not really possible and if you try it can only end badly. kids love to seek out dark media. ive seen more minors that like adult cartoons than adults. its not ideal, no, but i dont think it really matters.

edit: i dont feel like arguing w people who assuming the worst case scenario in every situation but all im going to add is that A. i didnt mean porn, and B. do you people not remember being teenagers. look me in the eye and tell me how you think a conversation with an already rebellious teenager would go if you told them to stop consuming media they enjoy

Sakura_Azora

it can mess with your mind if you are not careful nor well educated on the topics adult media brings up
adult media is for adults for a reason

NSFW is a solid No/Don't
again it can easily mess with your mind, especially when your brain is still developing
NSFW is 18+ only for a reason, that's all I will say and I will not go into further detail

I get that yall are curious, I was too
but again you got to be careful with content you view as a minor, I am not kidding with what I said

Sakura_Azora

saying that it doesn't matter what minors view you can't stop them is being ignorant
it DOES matter

it may not seem like it's a big deal at first
but it really does matter with what kind of content a minor views

thank you sm for proving my point
VVV

Bellamy

Like @sakura_Azora said, adult media is for adults for a reason. I privately explored a lot of adult media as a minor and im certain it's affected the way I think and even certain things I believe even today 10+ years later.
Minors don't belong where adult-oriented media is, even if you feel like you're "mature enough" for it or feel like you can understand it. There are just some things children shouldn't be privy to, whether its in the form of a movie, a book, music, or a video game.

Zanreo

"Adult/mature media" is kind of a broad category that can cover several things, so I'd say depends on what exactly the media is and what topics they cover, and also the age of the minor - there's a big difference between what a 5-year old and a 16-year old would be able to understand and handle! There are some games rated 18+/M that I wouldn't want a young kid playing, but I wouldn't be too scandalized if a 16 or 17-year old played them

fettuwuccine

it's very contextual tbh minor and mature media are both very broad. like i wouldn't bat an eye at a 16/17 year old being a dungeon meshi fan but I'd have some serious concerns with the parents if i saw a 10 year old watch breaking bad. hazbin hotel too is fine for older teens since there's only one episode that's actually mature, otherwise the show is just filled with completely normal high school humor (i watched the pilot when i was 16 and it appealed to me more then than it does now when im 21 lol)

i cant really give a solid answer without knowing what the visual novel is and why it's considered mature. if it is like intensely nsfw and gory you can always just keep in mind it'll still be there when you're a bit older, and then you'll be able to enjoy it a lot more. if it's less serious and you're on the older end of being a minor just be careful interacting with the fandom and keep in mind it's not meant for you

edit i think people are being a little dramatic abt this tho. a minor might not handle some things as well but you're not likely to get scarred for life just because of a game no matter how gory or sexual it is

Frogcroaks

half of adult media feels more catered to edgy 16 year olds than real adults lol.

even nsfw is like... idk dog teens are going to be horny and theyre gonna watch porn. its not a big deal they know whats going on lol. ofc with a kid its different but that's why "minor" is too generic of a term to ask this question

BIRD

People have probably already mentioned this b4 but as someone who had unrestricted access to the internet at the age of like 8, kids are bound to stumble towards adult media, or media that theyre not supposed to watch. I dont think ive ever met a single person that hasnt watched a horror movie/played a mature game as a kid lol. I was exposed to alot of genuinly messed up stuff as a kid/teen because i was not only curious, but also cause alot of the fandoms i was in had alot of innapropriote, traumatizing and straight up illegal media made by others in like 2012-2018 (undertale, creepypastas, fnaf, mlp, pokemon and minecraft unironically, etc). It messed me up alot.

ig it really depends on how bad the media youre being exposed to is , or how young you are (like if youre 16-17 youd prob be mature enough to at least be aware of the stuff going on in mature media). Stuff like hazbin is FAR from what id say is concerning, but if youre exposing yourself to genuinely traumatizing/uncomfortable stuff then id reccomend to just step away for your own mental health, cause that stuff can hit you alot harder and make you desensitized (Not saying this from a medical standpoint, but just from experience).

Saint-Vesta

You can’t stop them and I don’t think it’s particularly healthy to stop teens from seeking out “adult media” (which can mean anything from like. Porn to work with complex topics) teens are curious and sheltering them is not the answer.

I think the only danger is when the adult media is overtly gory or porngraphic, there is absolutely something dangerous with the minors engaging with the fandom. No one can stop em if they want to engage with it, but trying to force their way into fandoms catered towards adults is… concerning. Also minors in these fandoms tend to bring their shipping discourse baggage and make the spaces unusable for adults.

There needs to be better safe space online for teens so they can discuss amongst themselves without adults and little kids around. Unfortunately no place like that exists online atm and it’s a shame

spoinkledoinkers

Younger ppl being into shows older than them is like, completely normal if I’m gonna be honest. Like, 11 yr olds have been staying up late to watch adult swim or whatever since forever. This just seems like a non issue

SherbetToons

Minors def should not be in spaces designed for adults, that's a one-way ticket to just endangering themself. I was a minor who liked a lot of content that was not geared for my age range, and while thankfully I didn't get groomed or anything like that, I still do feel I exposed myself to stuff I shouldn't have. So yeah, it's pretty harmful both to the adults who aren't comfortable with their content being seen by minors, and for yourself

Kawaiimarshmallowkit

Spoilered for length

As a few other people have said, it depends on the content and the minor's age/maturity level. If the media's primary focus is NSFW related, that's a hard no, they should not view it. I will admit that I'm guilty of watching stuff like Panty and Stocking when I was a kid, but I really shouldn't have been. Luckily the show didn't have much of a negative effect on me, and tbh I mainly just liked it for the art style, character designs, and songs rather than the plot itself. I did view other NSFW content long before I watched that show that definitely did have a negative impact on me, though. I think if someone is like 16-17 and educated and wants to watch something like Hazbin Hotel or Helluva Boss, that's fine tbh. I got into Hazbin Hotel long before it even came out, aka when I was a minor, but similar to Panty and Stocking, I mainly just liked the character designs and art at the time. I was a teen when the pilot came out, and watching the pilot didn't hurt me. I'd already turned 18 by the time the actual show came out. I started watching Helluva Boss as a teen, and that didn't negatively impact me either. Again though, I was a teenager and was already educated on certain topics by then. Someone who isn't even 13 yet should not be engaging with stuff like the shows I've mentioned already. Even 13-14 year olds looking at the content can be iffy depending on the show and their level of maturity. It's normal for younger people to be curious about certain topics and want to engage with adult media, but whether it's actually okay for them to engage with that media depends on their age and level of maturity. If they're not mature enough to view it, it can have a negative impact on them.

I'd also like to add that it should be the responsibility of the parents/caretakers to determine what's safe for their kids to watch. If a minor is engaging with adult content, the internet can only do so much about it. Some kids will lie about their age to get past 18+ restrictions. You can do your very best to hide your adult content from minors, but chances are at least one minor will lie about their age to bypass it. That's why parents should be monitoring what their kids view: to make sure their kids aren't watching harmful content that could mess with their brains because they're not mature enough to view it yet. If you see a minor engaging with adult content on the internet, don't attack them. If the adult content in question is focused on pornographic stuff, report/block the minor. Ultimately though, the internet is not a babysitter. Parents need to be doing more to make sure their kids aren't viewing inappropriate content.

I'd also like to add that if the creator of an adult media (in your case, a visual novel) is really strict/adamant about keeping minors away from their content, it's best to respect their wishes and wait until you're 18 to engage with the content. If you've gotten attached to the character in question and they're like a major comfort character or something, then I think engaging with the character in private is fine as long as you avoid any NSFW of them. I started crushing on an adult V/N character when I was 17, but I kept it private and did my best to avoid explicit content of them until I was 18 (I’d also like to note that I was already close to turning 18 when I fell for the character; I fell for them a few weeks before my 18th bday). I still like that character lol. But yeah, if you're vocal about liking the character and/or V/N as a minor, you could get blocked by the creator if they find out, and then you won't be able to engage with that media when you actually are an adult because the creator has basically told you to DNI until they unblock you (if they ever do).