I generally don't care for posts about 'fandom meta', but I'm breaking the rule anyway.

I just want some environment for appreciating and exchanging creative works. I enjoy a wide variety of content, but I don't have much patience left for the people involved in the communities.

I wish it could be a Demilitarized Zone, where people have a chance to escape the stresses of reality and politics. Where folks can share commonality in the things they like, rather than try to seek out incompatibilities of beliefs.

It is my repeated mistake to dig through social media, sometimes coming across identities that I've met elsewhere, and having regret of finding some charged post by someone I had assumed was a casual person. Doubly so if it's "the other side wants you dead" bait, triply so if it's advocacy for politically-motivated violence.

I try to make an active effort to not engage or talk about partisan matters publicly, or at least on social media. I very much have opinions on things, but my commentary is not going to serve anything, nor does a majority of others. There's such a low amount of originality, that the plurality and droning of the same opinions doesn't accomplish anything. People on social media are not seeking out to change their beliefs, or get down to the absolute truths—instead they're usually seeking out WWE-tier theatrics.

Some of the stuff people post online is not what you'd even say in a typical public setting, but this is apparently the norm now since probably 10-15 years ago (not referring to profanity). I'm mostly a 'free speech absolutist', I support and believe anyone should be able to legally speak whatever crazy unhinged sh't they believe. It's more the point of it being the norm of people lacking tact, or understanding what venues are appropriate for polarized topics. I am fully in support of activism (where appropriate), and people standing for what they believe in, but it shouldn't be 24/7 and should not be to the demoralization of their own political allies.

I wish Moderates didn't effectively become an 'endangered species'.

Appropriate levels of criticism or concern should not be inferred as someone being "anti-" about something.

According to the stuff that goes viral on social media, due to simply disagreeing with a stance or holding a different belief, I apparently: don't believe in human decency, want people dead, am racist/sexist/homophobic/whatever, want people to suffer, believe people should be trapped under tyranny, probably want babies to be fed to Cthulhu, and whatever else; all of this despite never holding nor uttering any of those beliefs to begin with, and said matter usually involving no correlation to those beliefs.

Supposedly because of any selection of my beliefs, I'm apparently "not allowed to" find interest in particular creative works or themes, because apparently it "just isn't" compatible, and only particular demographics are permitted to find interest in said things. I'm supposed to be an all-around bad guy and supposed to naturally foam at the mouth, regardless if I hold any common ground (even if all).

For some reason if I don't voice an opinion, people seem to assume I hold all of their same beliefs exactly by default. Although I think that trend happens disproportionately with a particular partisan camp. I've even had a creepy "we're so alike" comment from someone in-person, that I've never uttered any words to (or even near), and where they weren't referring to any sort of online persona stuff or anything.

It's usually in the very hidden off-ramps from fandom stuff, that I find some of the rare decent folks, that usually have also led to some of the same conclusions (avoids conventions, avoids events, avoids sharing their works, etc).

For context, I do not have any social media applications on my phone, nor do I ever check social media on my phone at all. I am not a perpetual doomscroller, I'll maybe check in once in a while, every few days (while fedi I might check daily, but averagely only up to ~30 minutes).

I've grown very habituated to knowing how to navigate certain fandoms due to it involving a sizable portion of my life, that I don't know how to navigate other possible social venues.

I've been enabled by said fandoms to be socially awkward or aloof, which has inhibited proper social development, that it makes it difficult to be socially compatible with people outside it. I can maintain [relatively] professional communication in work life, but I probably struggle on social life outside of it.

It gets demoralizing listening to some of the folks virtuing about being jobless, on welfare (and/or claiming 'disadvantaged adult' status), Terminally Online, "having kids is overrated", dodging out of any level of civics, of folks that could at least—at minimum—have creative pursuits or intellectual curiosities. That instead their life is defined solely by consumption, complacency, and periodic e-begging to fill any financial gaps.

I just want to be able to have some fun and normalcy again, as it was in the earlier years of the internet, or even with discourse in general.