Gen Z are freaking out about Wattpad’s smut ‘ban’ — if you’re clueless, you’re old

The corner of the internet responsible for a generation’s sexual awakening (Picture: Getty Images)

There was a time when Wattpad was at the heart of the teenage internet.

You could crawl into bed, open your phone and disappear into thousands of stories about first kisses, forbidden romances, coming out, heartbreak – and, yes, sex.

The online platform, where people can read, write and share original stories, launched in 2006. If team Metro is anything to go by, the over thirites will be scratching their heads by this point.

Wattpad arguably reached its cultural peak during the early 2010s, when Gen Z were teenagers, fuelled by One Direction fanfiction, bad-boy romances and an active community of young writers and readers.

The platform also helped turn amateur writers into mainstream authors, inspiring adaptations including After, The Kissing Booth, My ...