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==Discussion==
==Discussion==
The topic of ageism in fandom began being widely discussed after a few prominent posts in 2014 and 2015 (see example below). There was a feeling that some younger fans were putting age limits on fandom involvement and may have been involved in a subtle form of gatekeeping. Others felt that the expectations of younger fans were rooted in outdated beliefs
The topic of ageism in fandom began being widely discussed after a few prominent posts in 2014 and 2015 (see example below). There was a feeling that some younger fans were putting age limits on fandom involvement and may have been involved in a subtle form of gatekeeping
{{quotation|one more thing, i can’t help but notice that a lot of tumblr’s popular ideas about what 30+-year-old women — and it’s almost always women — should be doing instead of having fun online seem to line up pretty closely with very conservative beliefs about what women’s options should be. especially that women should have children and that once they have children their lives should revolve around those children completely, with no time for breaks or hobbies or internet discussion or other selfish, frivolous, unmotherly activities. to be a mother or a woman old enough to be expected to be a mother is to be a specially regulated class of person, judged by her performance as a self-sacrificing caregiver and exemplar of chaste maturity.<ref>[https://enoughtohold.tumblr.com/post/166541699026/one-more-thing-i-cant-help-but-notice-that-a-lot one more thing, i can’t help but notice that a lot of tumblr’s popular ideas about what 30+-year-old women]</ref>}}
{{quotation|Honestly, I think a lot of it comes from VERY young women who are only used to seeing older women as mothers and teachers. And yeah, of course young girls don’t want mothers and teachers spying on their hobbies. I sure didn’t when I was a young teen.
HOWEVER. How young and sheltered do you have to be to think that older women are ONLY teachers and mothers? How self-centered do you have to be to think that older women SHOULD all revolve their lives around the wants or “needs” of kids? (I know it’s natural and normal for young teens to be just THAT self-absorbed, but honestly, it’s not a good look on anyone, so stop it.)<ref>[http://ravenmorganleigh.tumblr.com/post/144557614520/ageism-in-fandom-too-old-to-fangirl Ageism in Fandom: Too Old to Fangirl?]</ref>}}
Others felt that the expectations of younger fans were rooted in outdated beliefs
{{quotation2|one more thing, i can’t help but notice that a lot of tumblr’s popular ideas about what 30+-year-old women — and it’s almost always women — should be doing instead of having fun online seem to line up pretty closely with very conservative beliefs about what women’s options should be. especially that women should have children and that once they have children their lives should revolve around those children completely, with no time for breaks or hobbies or internet discussion or other selfish, frivolous, unmotherly activities. to be a mother or a woman old enough to be expected to be a mother is to be a specially regulated class of person, judged by her performance as a self-sacrificing caregiver and exemplar of chaste maturity.<ref>[https://enoughtohold.tumblr.com/post/166541699026/one-more-thing-i-cant-help-but-notice-that-a-lot one more thing, i can’t help but notice that a lot of tumblr’s popular ideas about what 30+-year-old women]</ref>}}
Or a lack of interaction with mature individuals outside a familial or professional setting
Or a lack of interaction with mature individuals outside a familial or professional setting
{{quotation2|Part of fandom’s blatant ageism might also stem from the fact that younger people in fandom have only ever met older people as parents, caretakers, and teachers, and so they are used to their own well-being being a priority in most forms of interaction with an older person.
{{quotation|Part of fandom’s blatant ageism might also stem from the fact that younger people in fandom have only ever met older people as parents, caretakers, and teachers, and so they are used to their own well-being being a priority in most forms of interaction with an older person.
As parents and teachers (and doctors, and trainers, and counsellors, and so on) are first and foremost there to care for them, it’s quite possible that younger people in fandom have not yet come to the realization that there is a huge segment of the middle-aged population that is neither obligated nor willing to do the same, especially if that “caring” takes the form of special consideration, of prioritzing their well-being - their comfort, their interests, their sensibilities.
As parents and teachers (and doctors, and trainers, and counsellors, and so on) are first and foremost there to care for them, it’s quite possible that younger people in fandom have not yet come to the realization that there is a huge segment of the middle-aged population that is neither obligated nor willing to do the same, especially if that “caring” takes the form of special consideration, of prioritzing their well-being - their comfort, their interests, their sensibilities.