Wattpad's Dirty Little Secrets

I Hate Young Writers! I Hate Older Writers!

We all know that Wattpad is made up of many aged groups and people from different works of life. It’s a community consisting aspiring writers, readers, graphic designers and other groups I can’t think of. Sorry, I’ve been sleeping for three hours every night and I just can’t get my head around things.

It’s a pretty well-known fact that Wattpad users are either adults, young adults or teenagers. I, fall into the teenager category. It’s nothing to be ashamed about. But amongst the never ending list of things that bug me, Age Stereotyping ranks as number four on the list.

Age stereotyping consists of mature wattpad users, treating the younger generation like crap because their stories aren’t as amazing as Charles’ Dickens work, while the younger generation talks shit about the older generation, saying they’re “too old for wattpad.”

It’s not hard to notice age stereotyping. I seem to find it in every single club and on quite a few number of threads.

Yesterday, I decided to just go to The Pub. It’s actually a club, not a real pub. I don’t drink. There, I found a thread about writing and clicked on it, because hey, I want to get some few tips about writing. I strive to get better and boy, I know I have quite a long way to go. Anyway, I soon realised that the club mostly consisted of adults and as the conversation went on, it turned into a full on rant/bashing of basically all of the younger wattpad generation. The younger generation basically became stereotyped as; bad writers, stupid kids who couldn’t write for shit, kids who didn’t take writing seriously, shitty writers, people who lacked imagination and blah blah blah.

I was honestly peeved off by it, but my mama taught me to respect my elders so I casually backed away from the thread and returned back to the Multimedia Designs Club.

Firstly, not every young person on this website is a stupid kid who can’t write for shit. Sure, everyone is at a different level/stage of writing. Most come on here to share their work to the rest of the world, receive critique and reviews and hopefully get better. Sure, I’m not the best writer out there. I’m far from it, but I don’t appreciate being called a shitty writer who lacks imagination, just because I’m a teenager.

That’s blinking rude and disrespectful.

Dear adults who stereotype younger writers as shitty writers, if you want to be treated with respect, I think it’s time you get off your high pony and also treat the younger generation with respect. Not to be rude, but your arrogance stinks of horse shit and sewage. You need to take the stick out of your ass and “grow up”. Try to be nice. Not every young adult has bad spelling and grammar. Not every young adult lacks imagination. I’ve met/know people with the most brilliant ideas ever! Everyone is at a different journey when it comes to writing, so r.e.s.p.e.c.t. that.

And let’s be honest, I’ve stumbled some adult writers on the site who write terribly. And yet, they bash young writers. Talk about being hypocritical.

Sometimes adults think that because they have more “life experience” and are “older” that they can bash those younger than them. NO! NO! NO! You can’t do that.

There was a competition in the MDC in which one of the contestants decided to quit for her own reasons. Then one of the other contestants who was an adult decided to bring her own opinion into the matter. She basically stated that because the girl quit, she had no real work ethic and wondered how she’d cope in the real world. She was a quitter and to be frank, that was weak.

Firstly, her comment was rude and way out of line. Hate to say it, but Wattpad isn’t reality. It’s the internet. It’s virtual. I’m not the same person on the internet as I am in real life, and it’s true. On Wattpad I can quit things if something comes up and in real life, I’d probably do something differently.

Secondly, I don’t think it was the woman’s place to blast the girls’s “work ethic”. It’s a bloody competition, not a job. And thirdly, the conversation didn’t even involve her. Lady, I don’t care if you’re twenty five or thirty five, learn to mind your own business.

Is it really that hard? No, I think not.

As much as I don’t like adults on this site, bashing younger people, I can’t stand it when young writers decide to have a go at older writers.

“They’re too old for this website, they’re stuck up, they think they’re the next big thing.”

HELLO!!!! Wattpad doesn’t have a maximum age limit. I’m pretty sure there are some seventy five year old authors on this site. Margaret Atwood has an account and she’s seventy four! If you don’t know who Margaret Atwood is, google her up and you will be blown away. The woman has talent!

I’m aware that some older writers are stuck up, but aren’t some younger writers like that as well. I’ve gotten messages from thirteen, fourteen and fifteen year olds saying, “my work has a higher rating than yours, so I’m a better writer than you.” or “my story has more comments and votes than yours. I’m a better writer. Plus, I have more fans.” Personally, I don’t give a shit. I’m pretty content with what I have. I don’t care about comments and votes. I’m just happy people are giving this narcissistic, loud and strange teenager a chance.

And let’s face it, I look at some of the older writers on this website and think, “that person could be the next big thing.” I know if I ever became a literary agent, I’d come on this website and start hunting down people with exceptional writing talent.

So, on an ending note, stop the age stereotyping. It’s stupid, it’s rude, it’s arrogant and dumb. Ageism isn’t cool. Everyone should respect one another. Wattpad is a community. Don’t let your arrogance be your downfall.

EDIT!!!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read/voted/commented on my work. I can't believe that all three categories are bright red! I'm so stoked and greateful to all of you. I never thought the rant book would get so popular.

And Happy first birthday to Wattpad's Dirty Little Secrets. I've had a blast making you.