Should writers who write dark themes be responsible for their readers? The debate about whether...

I'd guess there might be some influence, but people who were/are seeking it out are kinda already doing a single leg stand on a banana peel in high winds; I expect people looking more to spread the blame for actions far more than any original influence.

so no, other than possibly putting up warnings/making things a little more difficult for people under some certain ages to access, I don't feel like writers or any other creative should be held accountable for actions performed by others that might claim to have been influenced by their work.

similar to how I don't feel someone who produces a legal product should be held accountable by people misusing it for unacceptable things, be it a passenger car, truck, train, or firearm.

Eternity · 26-30, M

I think that assumptions of responsibility should be compensated with equivalent surrenders of power and control.

Why? Because this way accountability and responsibility can go hand in hand as they ought to.

So to someone who believes that a writer should be responsible for the actions of their readers in cases other than blatant instructions/orders to do harmful things, I would say: "sure".

Sure. But since this writer is responsible for these people, it is only fair that these people should pay taxes to this writer. From now on until such a time that these people become responsibile for their own actions they should send 30% of every paycheck to the personal bank account of this writer.

Fair is fair.

YourMomsSecretCrush · M

Nope. That would stifle creativity.

TexChik · F

Absolutely not. Fantasy fiction, no matter how real, is for entertainment purposes.

SalamanderWolfWoman · 26-30

Writers shouldn't be held responsible for how their readers behave. However, I feel writers must consider the reactions and actions people may make as a result of what was read. For example when a writer writes something which glorifies violence and a mentally ill reader later attacks and does harm due to their influence and dedication towards what the writer wrote. The writer didn't hopefully intend for the reader to attack people. At the same time, the writer was ignorant to the fact that their writing can influence people into doing things harmful. I feel many writers and content creators are ignorant to the fact that while dark themes may seem amusing to write about, society suffers as a whole due to the actions of deranged individuals who seek to live out dark themes and violent fantasies against unwilling bystanders.

wildbill83 · 36-40, M

if someone cannot distinguish fact from fiction or fantasy from reality; that's the reader's problem, not the author's...

virtue & integrity isn't a lack of dark impulses/taboo knowledge, it's knowing them and having the control and restraint to overcome them...

someone without that knowledge is far easier to corrupt...

AbbySvenz · F

You do know that you can put the book down, right..?

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

No. You're dealing with a censorship issue there. You simply can't judge everyone for just reading anything.

I don't agree with what Salman Rushdie wrote about Islam beliefs. That doesn't mean that I would censor him, or hurt him for that matter.

And I have no love for Islam in the slightest.

DrScissorhands

That is a very good point. Writers should in essence, consider the themes they're exploring. Usually when dealing with sensitive issues, there should be at least some empathy obvious in the writing. Although directly not responsible, they do have a compelling hold over their readers and should to an extent, be ethical in how they deal with this power. Readers on the other hand should be directly responsible for the material they subject themselves too. Warnings and sensitive material tags are there for a reason. They know their own fragility and susceptibility to certain content. Its a delicate balance.

Casheyane · F

I write. For me, it's good to be responsible for what we put out in the world. It depends on your heart and the purpose you do what you do.

It's like asking the creators of AI to be responsible for their works. Or putting a sword or gun you made out in the market.

You put it out there. You don't control who ends up having them, or how they're used. But depends on what you meant to put out, you just want it to be felt.

As for the dark themes in story, even that itself is broad. Tragedy, horror, romance, etc. But as a writer, make sure to put it where it should be put and tag it with the right warnings at least.

in10RjFox · M

Does writing dark themes or dark romance really affect the way readers think and act in real life?

It definitely does the effect of which can be sensed from the way they behave, their vocabulary, their sensitivity, tolerance etc

I believe we're responsible for what we consume.

Yes, but there is no rejection process in our mind, like how it is for food or drink. We can't and don't vomit for what's consumed stays within and affects us subconsciously.

The effect of which can be seen in how people make and reject friends, get into silly arguments or petty squabble

Also there is no minimum age for a book as anyone can read it. So the same book when read by a matured person will have no impact, while it can affect a young maturing person.

SomeMichGuy · M

Yes, I think that a note / notice from the author about especially dark themes might be a great thing.

It is done all the time on--e.g.‐‐literotica, though not only for extreme/dark themes, but this brief prefatory note can be a very good flag, if one wishes to avoid specific situations.

Having said that, perhaps the note should be hidden unless the reader actively selects it. If you are reading for the purpose of being surprised, challenged, having your mind stretched or "blown"--perhaps you don't want a foreshadowing of any kind to take away some of the surprise, shock value, etc.

Sandcastler · 22-25, M

For me, the whole point of good art is that it encapsulates a certain specific feeling or phenomenon. So even if the material required to describe a phenomenon or incarnate a feeling is very dark, it's still a valid form of art and can good insights as long as it is authentic and genuine.

Greyjedi · M

If they write The Bible Quran or Twilight, absolutely.

Missbirdie1986 · 36-40, F

No

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

People have been making that argument since the invention of the book, and it's no less ridiculous now than it was centuries ago.

MethDozer · M

Nope. Refusing to allow art to delve into dark themselves and waters is far more dangerous for a society and is just ingoring that these things exist in our society. It's playing ostrich. The people who are influenced to commit the henous acts didn't need the artwork to do so, they were already thinking and planning on it. Art imitates life, life doesn't imitates art.

Sure there are lines with glorification and how toos but those exists outside of this fact and it's a slippery slope