EDITORIAL PAGE
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Roleplay world issues: Right or wrong rule book. (RPW). Screenshot taken from Dead Press Society account. (@DPSOCIETY_RP). Taken by: L.
CHASING WATERFALLS
– Augustin.
THAT'S "MINE"
– Bulan
The desire to be famous in social media has become so strong that people are willing to endanger themselves and ruin other’s livelihoods all for the sake of algorithm. Comments and likes have become more important than respecting boundaries.
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Access to fame seemed easier now with the increasing ubiquity of social media. Anyone with access to a decent camera can attract attention through their personality, talents, or by exploiting their platform’s algorithm.
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Google Trends says that the term “clout” skyrocketed into the public dialect since 2017. Many have used “clout” and “clout chasing” in relation to attempting online fame, with popularity coupled with power. The more clout one has in the realm of social media, the more influence they have on others. Meanwhile, Urban Dictionary defines “clout chaser” as “a person that only hangs with certain people or starts beef with people to gain popularity” and “those who actively seek clout, even if it negatively impacts other people.”
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Clout chasing has also reached the roleplay world (RPW), with certain issues that stirred up the public. It has also become a thing more so than ever and for certain roleplayers doing whatever it takes to get likes and attention.
It seems clear that there are no moral boundaries when it comes to clout chasing in social media. Gaining fame and followers on these platforms is absolute power for those in pursuit of it. Nothing is off the table, not even faking stories just to get a like, retweet, and follow for the sake of getting influence from your audience.
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RPW is a safe place for people exploring their creativity. It is unfortunate that it has slowly become a place on who talks louder and who gathers the most clout. While striving for popularity is normal, clout chasers’ spending habits and questionable behavior are creating too many issues. Clout chasers should realize that they do not have to take extreme measures on social media just to get famous and is a horrible way to market yourself.
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We live in a society that is heavily predicated on social media use. Because of this, a strong contingent of social media users has acquired an occupation not normally seen. This occupation requires them to desperately seek attention and admiration, whether with something positive or negative.
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A British historian once said, “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” For those clout chasers, they will soon realize that in the end, they were really just chasing waterfalls.
Abstract ideas or general notions that occur in mind or thought are considered concepts. They are considered as a representation of belief or thoughts. All concepts are mental mixes performed by a reasonable brain. The legal right to obtain or possess a certain object or property is called ownership.
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Does anyone own a 'concept'? Property ownership and rights can be a valid intestate, progression, by it either be a donation, by law, by home, and even by convention. Ownership is a social construct that individuals found useful in building a prosperous society. According to Widdison, it is considered as an invented concept, the "idea" of obtaining something beyond your skin.
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Concepts are relatable with arts which are products of significant human experiences. This solely means that it can be universal and varied depending on how it is expressive and showcased. It can be widely recognized and used to produce a much similar notion of it. That's why no one is allowed to claim a certain concept to be theirs, nor accumulate a certain credit for it.
THE CAVALRY OF FLEXIBILITY
UNDERAGE, UNDERSTAND
– Hiraya
– Combative
Living in a modern world where everyone is supposed to be open-minded and liberated, it is not surprising how the younger ones are becoming more involved in adult talks. Unfortunately, those adult talks include not safe for work topics that aren’t suitable for ages below 18. This is probably why the topic of minor operators having NSFW accounts is still on the table when it’s not even supposed to be a discussion. Underaged OOC’s should not roleplay NSFW characters.
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Taking accounts with sexual content as an example (i.e. to narrow the scope of the article as well), there is a reason why pornography and smut are only to be accessed by ages 18 and above. Eighteen years old is considered the age of consent. This is the research-proven appropriate age for a person to create decisions based on his or her own mental and legal ability. For the same reason, NSFW accounts are limited to legal-aged-idols face claim.
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Similarly, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages are only to be sold to people of legal age because minors are assumed to be not mentally mature enough to handle the consequences of the said vices. One might think that this is a conservative point of view, as some roleplayers may claim that age does not define maturity. And although this may be true on some levels, “maturity” is not what the law considers when tackling such cases. However, this is crucial enough that even laws all around the world emphasize the importance of the age of consent.
On the legal note, minor RP operators also jeopardize legal operators when they interact in a sexual context. Laws are designed to protect minors from the influence of adults who are trying to take advantage of their so-called ‘innocence’. So even if the OOC (out of character) minor was the one who initiated the interaction, the legal OOC would still be the one to take responsibility for they are the ones equipped with a more mature mind. Thus, these minor OOC’s are not just being a danger to themselves but also to the ones they interact with.
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This kind of action also damages their face claim’s image. Roleplay world’s basic commandment is to take care of the reputation of the faces of the artist that roleplayers borrow. Imagine how the actual artist would feel knowing how they are inspiring the youth. Minors sexualizing idols and making them their muse for NSFW content, no matter how liberated modern society is, would never be acceptable.
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Again, this opinion is not a product of conservatism. Research and the law drew a line between minor and legal. Staying age-appropriate even in the roleplay world should not be a hard task. After all, there are millions of ways to be an interesting SFW account. It would not hurt to follow what’s proper in order to make this community a safer place for everybody.
Being part of the role-playing community, we are all aware that each existing account has its own muse/muses. These muses are shaped into characters fitting of a story or how the role-players call it, alternative universe or AU. However, within these accounts, there are also those who practice having a flexible face claim. When we say flexible face claim, it means that the account can portray whichever muse they like.
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It may seem wonderful at first considering that such person can be flexible when it comes to role-playing however, this can cause problems.
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First, it may create confusion within their mutuals. Having lots of face claims that vary depending on who you interact with may cause confusion to others. For example, some may see you as Seulgi, but then get confused as you start to role-play as Jennie. This can be confusing for bases as well since most bases require one face claim only. Even the user itself may be confused as they keep switching from one face claim to another.
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Second, it tends to affect a person's creativity. As observed, some of these accounts follow the bandwagon. Whichever face claim is famous at the moment, they tend to follow the trend, losing the essence of role-playing as there's a possibility that this certain face claim does not fit a certain AU. Another thing it could affect is how it could lose the essence of characterization. Characterization when doing plots is essential since it helps you understand your character more. However, if you keep changing your face claim, this gets difficult since as mentioned earlier, certain face claims don't fit a certain AU. An example of this is a minor face claim doing not safe for work (NSFW) plots.
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Lastly, some of these accounts are face claim chasers or FC chasers for short. FC chasers are those who only role-play with a certain account because of their face claim. This mindset is disturbing and disrespectful. This can create a problem within other role-players plus, it isn't morally correct. It isn't morally correct in a way that others may see you as a person who only cares about the trend or about another account's face claim rather than basing on a person's personality.
Keep in mind that the "faces" of each account are borrowed. One should take care of that idol or public figure's image and act accordingly so that their image wouldn't be ruined.
The world of role-playing should be a safe place for everyone. This is also a place wherein one's creativity may be showcased or even improved. Let us also remember the netiquette rule "Remember the human" and not create problems within people we interact with. Being a flexible FC is not a problem however, one should take into consideration the possible problems it may cause.