Smut in fan fiction: entertaining or damaging?

Content warning: BDSM and CNC 

‘Smut’, whether in writing or artwork, is characterised by highly sexualised content.  While smut has been prevalent in literature since the 17th century, since Tumblr, Wattpad and Archive of our Own entered the internet scene in the late 2000s we saw a sharp rise in creators expressing their creativity and passion for films, books and tv shows through erotic fan fiction. 

For the vast majority of these creators, while they often portray over-romanticised sexual relationships, their narratives are not dangerous or harmful to perceptions of safe sex. However, some do delve into the realm of BDSM and other forms sex play. And while BDSM practices are safe if conducted by someone who is experienced in that area, if a sexually inexperienced person reads these pieces as fact then it can create an unsafe perspective of what sex looks like. Significantly, if a sexually inexperienced person attempts to try the practices of BDSM or ‘rough sex’ that they are reading about, it could lead to violent and dangerous outcomes. 

Likewise, one of the biggest criticisms of smut is that it can normalise abusive sexual experiences. For example, a tag (a topic in fan fiction) known as CNC, also known as consensual non-consent, is a commonly written into online smut. When it comes to topics regarding consent and safe sex, if someone is not educated on the practices or topics that are appearing in fanfiction, like CNC, then they may feel pressure to engage in these practices. Smutty fan fiction can distort people's perception of what safe and enjoyable sex is.