Kids

What Kids and Teens Read And Learn from Fan Fiction

You’d be very surprised what kids and teens learn from fan fiction.

It may not look like it, but our kids and teens do read. Just not the kind of books or literature we’d expect. When there’s a series or a band or even a movie that creates a strong following or community, stories and writing known as fan fiction pop out. Sites like Archive of Our Own (AO3), Fanfiction.net, Tumblr, and even Reddit serve as a source for these modern-day reads. But first, let’s familiarize ourselves with the terminologies.

A teenager reading fan fiction

What is fan fiction?

Fan fiction is a kind of writing that fans of a certain series create in order to fulfill wishes that the actual series did not. Wishes for two characters to end up in a relationship, an alternative way an episode or chapter was written, and even plugging the characters from specific series into a different world are all within the scope of fan fiction. Usually, teenagers are the ones who write fan fiction. But there are also many adults who use it to practice their writing skills. Some adults may even have wishes of their own.

What kids or teens usually learn from reading it:

Besides English, this is where modern-day kids and teens usually get their basic sex-ed foundation. Although there are filters on the websites, fan fiction writers use terms to market their writing to a certain group of people. From here, readers can actually control how much sexual content they want to read. Terms can include the following:

  • Fluff – This term is for stories that are just out there to give the readers “good vibes” or happy feelings.
  • Lime – There’s implied sexual content in the story.
  • Lemon – Writers describe the sexual content explicitly and graphically. Sometimes, they have a good plot and philosophy. Other times, they don’t. The ones that usually focus mostly on the sex and have little to no plot are called Smut.
  • AU – This stands for “alternative universe”, this does not mean there’s sexual content. It just means the characters are in a different setting than the series.

Fan fiction also opens the door to different other cultures. Writers of fan fiction are all over the world and may sometimes use their native language, piquing our teens’ and kids’ interest in other cultures. Some even learn a new language to read certain books in their native language.

Sometimes, fan fiction can help kids and teens become more socially aware of how things are. It’s through fan fiction that today’s teens and kids learn about same-sex relationships and how it may go sometimes. There’s the Yaoi genre (male x male romance narrative) and the Yuri genre (female x female romance narrative).

A mother and daughter reading a book

Does it help my kids or teens in any way?

While it’s not the usual form of formal writing or literature, it does help them improve their vocabulary and helps them deal with emotions. Writing allows kids and teens to express their negative emotions in a socially acceptable manner. And in fan fiction writing, everyone uses a pen name which means they’ll be able to do so safely without being tracked.

Reading fan fiction may also explain why when we try to give them the talk, they just stare at us and wonder why we’re so scandalized. In the fan fiction world, sex and romantic relationships are normal topics to write about. While it’s not our ideal form of reading material, they are at least reading.

We can’t protect them forever

It’s a parent’s number one instinct to protect their kids from all things that are scandalous. But at some point, they are going to find it on the internet. We can’t completely control the internet either because it might leave our kids and teens more naive. The best way to approach their reading of fan fiction is with an open mind and to be as mature as possible. After all, the writing is still fictional in nature so there’s some processing that will need to be done.

More about teens’ and kids’ reading habits:

8 Neil Gaiman Books Kids Can Get Into If They Love The Sandman
This Children’s Book on Body Positivity Helps Empower Little Girls
6 Classic Books For Kids To Read and Learn From

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