I will go down with this ship

Since becoming more 'internet' I've acquired somewhat of a new vocabulary. One of those words being 'ship' or 'shipping.'

This is a vague definition of the term as I believe it can be used to endorse friendships/bromances as well but nevertheless you get the general idea.

I will admit that since finding out the term I'm no stranger to shipping couples. A few of my own favourites include:

• Tyshley - Tyler Blackburn and Ashley Benson
• Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie (they have somehow escaped the shipping name ritual)
• and of course, everyone's favourite... Zalfie - Zoe Sugg and Alfie Deyes

I've found myself now trying to look back to when I was growing up and wondering if I ever subconsciously shipped anyone I knew in real life. I think realistically I did, it seems to be part of human nature.

I saw a post on Tumblr the other day and it seems to reinforce my theory that we have a natural urge to ship.

It's really interesting to me that the teachers at this person's school actually discussed it amongst themselves in the staff room and not only that but it was one of the most popular topics.


So why do we get to so heavily invested in other peoples lives and relationships?



Why do we feel an emotional bond to two people's affection towards each other, sometimes people we don't even know?

Is it something abnormal?


When I try and really think about why I get a light butterfly sensation in my stomach when I see two people who are either so clearly in love or so obviously meant to be together I think it's excitement. It's excitement for when I get to that point in my life, it's excitement for those people that already have. I adore seeing their cute 'fights' or affectionate gazes and gestures. I melt when I see their subconscious expressions of affection and I appreciate them and I don't want their happiness to end.

I think the reason we 'ship' people is the same reason we cry when we see a sad film or cringe when someone tells an embarrassing story. It's a natural human instinct to feel empathy towards another human or living beings emotions. Laughing is contagious, we can feel others sadness as our own pain and when we see two people that have an undeniable genuine connection, we naturally support it and want them to experience the happiness and love they have forever.

Sexual Abuse on YouTube

In recent weeks there has been an outcry of discontent with certain youtubers in the YouTube community. This is of course, the infamous sexual abuse scandal. At least four or five content creators in the last year have been called out for their inappropriate treatment of women and their attitude towards sex and consent.

Whilst a large number of viewers and fellow content creators have expressed their disgust at this kind of  behaviour, it's still very disheartening to see the legion of 'loyal' followers and fans who have dismissed the accusations.

I'm not one to generalise but there seems to be a very noticeable pattern in the people who are defending these unacceptable actions. Young female 'fangirls.' I'm in no way saying that all fangirls are incapable of holding their idol accountable for any conduct that may be immoral or unlawful and there has been numerous cases of young fans feeling very betrayed and dismayed by the actions of someone they looked up to so greatly. Regardless it is still worrying to see the amount of people that have stood up for actions that are not only morally wrong but unquestionably illegal.

It upsets me incredibly to see how many teenage girls will dismiss sexual harassment and support seriously vile people just because they find them attractive. This is the problem with celebrity and YouTube culture, no one is being held accountable for their actions because they’re ‘hot’. It honestly feels like some fans are even scared to admit their idols have wronged in fear of being called out for being a ‘fake fan’. (That phrase itself could have it's own blog post it infuriates me so much!) 

I think it's so important for everyone to realise that any sort of physical contact with a person without their constant is sexual harassment and that regardless of how attractive the culprit is they should not be able to get away with it. Sexual harassment or abuse can also be conducted verbally and can result in the mental manipulation of a person to do something against their wishes. This can be done by incessantly asking to the point of them being extremely uncomfortable, guilt tripping or black mailing.

It's so important to fight sexual abuse of any kind and to not stand by perpetrators. In some situations certain content creators have even been able to make a living off sexual abuse disguised as entertainment and it is increasingly necessary to stop this happening.