Have you heard about the website ‘Wattpad?’ It’s an online haven for people to publish ebooks, but it has a sinister side.
This post unpacks the social relevance of Wattpad and why people talk about it online.
Meaning
‘Wattpad’ is a website and app for Android and iOS users. It’s an online social reading platform connecting writers with an audience. The founders intended the venue to be a haven for writers, allowing them to independently publish their work and build an audience.
While the model of Wattpad is admirable, it didn’t turn out as the founders planned. According to users, Wattpad offers a highly addictive platform, similar to social media, but for the wrong reasons.
Shortly after launching, the platform experienced a never-ending wave of people uploading porn and porn stories to the site. Originally, the founders intended users to upload fictional stories, but that wasn’t the case.
The site is somewhat cringy, and most of the original stories are by unknown writers that don’t have much skill as authors. However, there are many users that find themselves addicted to reading the content on the site.
Example Usage
"How much do you know about that website 'Wattpad?' I hear it's nothing but porn on the site, and kids have access to it. That's kinda wrong."
"Honey, it looks like we're going to have to add that site, 'Wattpad,' to the blocked list for the kids. I caught Jimmy looking at porn on it this afternoon."
"That website Wattpad has loads of great ebooks in different categories. It's a great educational resource; I wish I had it as a kid."
"I checked out that website, 'Wattpad' this morning; it's nothing but a bunch of porn and a few books."
"Wattpad feels like one of those websites that got abused by trolls and porn freaks. It's nothing like what the site wanted to be, and it has a bad reputation online."
Origin
Wattpad is the name of a website founded in 20147 by Allen Lau and Ivan Yuen. The original business model for the site was to host ebooks, leading to it earning the moniker of “YouTube for ebooks.”
Wattpad is an online community connecting undiscovered and published writers, allowing them to publish their work and sell it through the site. Wattpad also includes a reading application where it narrates the book to you through your mobile device or desktop PC.
Wattpad is available for Android and Mac and requires no special software or hardware to run the app. Since the site is user-generated, anyone can sign up to the platform and start releasing their work.
As a result, the site became a haven for people to upload restricted content with an adult theme.
Phrases Similar to Wattpad
- Pornography.
- E-books.
Phrases Opposite to Wattpad
- Kindle.
What is the Correct Saying?
- Wattpad.
Ways People May Say Wattpad Incorrectly
Some people may use Wattpad as a description or alternative word to ‘porn.’ This is an underground trend on message boards like 4Chan and Reddit and part of many trolling campaigns.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Wattpad
You can use the term ‘Wattpad’ when referring to the online e-book platform. Wattpad gained traction with users on forums and message boards due to its policy of publishing anything on the site. Many people claim most of the e-book content on Wattpad is pornography. There are hundreds of viral memes discussing this point.
You can use ‘Wattpad’ in online and offline discussions about the website. Wattpad is a useful website, but most of the social media commentary on it refers to pornography. Be careful when using the site or allowing your children to access it.