Gatekeeping. This word, for many on the internet, carries a lot of negative connotations. But first, let’s define gatekeeping. Its definition according to Oxford is, “the activity of controlling, and usually limiting, general access to something.”. In today’s society, the concept of gatekeeping is mostly tied to the things we consume (music, clothes, places, shows, movies, etc). Most people feel the need to gatekeep because they don’t want other people to become fond of something that they also like. Some people suffer from an individuality complex, meaning they feel they must be different from everyone else and will go to many measures to ensure that. Gatekeeping is something that doesn’t need to happen in most situations. A lot of people get a sense of superiority for liking something before it goes mainstream.

One of the most common things to gatekeep is music. On the surface, music is not something that should be gatekept, especially because of how widely available it is to everyone. If you like a band or artist, there are most definitely other people out there who are fans. Anyone is allowed to listen to whatever music they desire. However, if you dig a bit deeper there is a justification of gatekeeping within the music scene. There are a lot of subcultures or types of music that are made for a certain purpose or reason. For example, punk music is defined by its non-conformist, anti-establishment, and rebellious nature and characteristics. Punk is very anti-authority, intolerant, anti-fascist, anti-racist, and several other radical ideologies. This makes this subculture and this genre of music have a particular type of audience, and if you do not stand for what the punk community stands for then you do not belong in it, nor should you listen to the music. You might find it annoying, but gatekeeping of the punk subculture is something very necessary, because it is a place where like-minded people get together, and if you let people into the scene that do not have the same views as the rest, it will taint the culture. So in this instance, gatekeeping is necessary for a subculture to survive and stay strong throughout the years. But aside from certain circumstances, gatekeeping is something that can prove to be less beneficial for a community. Sharing artists’ music rather than keeping it a secret helps benefit the artist/band by getting more recognition and opportunities. Just because someone else likes the same music as you, doesn’t make you any less special, and you aren’t superior for liking something before it became mainstream. This also doesn’t mean you can’t listen to smaller artists/bands but instead of keeping them a secret, it would be helpful to share them around so that they can gain more recognition.

This goes for any type of media, whether it be movies, books, places, clothes, etc. You are interesting enough for what your interests are, it’s okay if others also happen to have the same interest. It’s important to share interests instead of hate each other for it, or simply live and let them live.