Writer's Guide 101 (Wattpad Edition)

XLVII. Why Romance Genres Are Overrated?

I know many young readers on Wattpad can be pretty opinionated and get upset whenever someone makes valid criticisms about certain fandoms. I can respect those who actually enjoy romance novels despite their flaws so hope others can also respect my perspective.
    I won't be citing any existing works which I might be critical towards for privacy reasons, but I bet you already have an idea on what they are.

Anyway, let's begin.

I think one of the main reasons why romance genres are a lot popular on Wattpad is they can be relatable and appealing to younger audiences. It doesn't require any brains at all to understand how the story went like in other genres.
They often depict an average teenage girl (or boy) who serves as a template for readers to insert themselves. Their objective is to attract the only person they're supposed to like. The main issue here is making the main character extremely naive, irresponsible or egotistical. 
If it's supposed to be relatable, then how come the main character is able to get into Harvard or a job promotion at eighteen despite lacking any exceptional skills to deserve it?
It's shocking to see that books who follow this kind of formula, regardless of how unoriginal or problematic they are, gain a lot of traction. Wattpad is always recommending me these romance/werewolf/LGBTQ+ stuff despite the fact that I'm not really into those things. I would compare this to copying someone else's thesis and the whole class gets an 'A' for it.
    While there are amazing authors on this platform who can publish unique stories, I also see others who are too afraid to think outside the box and prefer to write something which the majority might like.
   It worked out for the other writers who came before them so they should do it as well, right? The romance genres have more competition compared to — let's say — historical, scifi or mystery-thriller. Here's the catch. Your book may entirely lean on a different genre and can only be popular if you squeeze in some romance there.
     Let us not forget the media around us. While we are seeing progressive stories in films, shows and books nowadays, there are still many youth-oriented stories which don't always portray the opposite gender in a favorable way. It tends to be like "Oh feast your eyes on how hot this girl/boy is in the cover!"
    You have a naive girl falling for a guy. If not, you have gay or lesbian relationships that is fueled by stereotypes.
   Why not have a story of an aro-ace person who is friends with a character and gets to be self-reliant? Why not have a character who can be more than just their gender?
I know people are gonna be like "Maybe you're just biased and not looking at the right place!" or "Do you have any legitimate sources or degree to prove your credibility?" by the time they read this.
    I ain't just another random hater either. Everything I have said here are solely based on personal experiences and research.
    There are so many hidden gems on Wattpad which doesn't fall into the cookie-cutter romance mold yet they neither get as much attention. I would come across other writers who still couldn't reach a certain amount of popularity despite joining the Wattys or any of the site's programs. Unless their works feature an interesting couple, the algorithm will just fly past them.