I'm getting to the point where I cringe a little every time I see someone "like me" in TV or movies. And by that I mean socially awkward and/or extremely reserved. I used to think I was lucky, because just about every show had one of them and I sympathized with and loved them all.

But the problem is, TV is written for extraverts. I'm not sure if it's because the writers are extraverted, or the actors, or the showrunners, but introverts on television are treated with an irritating "othering". They're the really "weird" ones, even though introverts are estimated 30-40% of the population. It's not treated as a personality difference, it's treated as the precursor to mental disorders. Which means that, worst of all, shows and fandom alike must "fix" them so that they will be like "everyone else", which in TV terms means going to parties and getting drunk and going from date to date with enthusiasm. As if this is the highest calling a human being can have.

I'm tired of the jokes made at the expense of non-social people. I'm tired at the assumption that if reserved people just "let their hair down" that they would enjoy parties just as much as "normal" people. I'm tired of it being acceptable in pairings for extravert partners to nag their introvert with "Why can't you just have fun?" and not accepting "My job/books/staying home/etc. is fun" as a proper response (it is, damnit). I'm tired of it being considered a problem to want to spend time alone when you aren't ill or depressed.

And I'm tired of being considered something "fixable". People do not choose to be introverts. Why would we? The scholarly world is the only one that explicitly wants us, and look at how much respect they get. I didn't choose to go against popular culture by feeling my energy leeched out of me the longer I spend among people. And no amount of parties I've been dragged to is going to make me feel anything less but ill and drained a couple hours in, and that's even without drinking. It has nothing to do with having fun, and it has everything to do with natural comfort zones. It is not a frakking crime to feel more comfortable when not squashed in a group of noisy people, and I do not want to be fixed. I am an introvert. I can't imagine being anything else. It's not a problem for me, just for the extraverted parts of the world who choose not to understand...and I don't accept that stubborn obliviousness anymore.

But television almost never gets it either. Geeks need to be socialized; quiet people need to open up; bookworms need to party. Need. As if they aren't complete without a rambunctious social life. Well frak that. And most of all, frak this idea when it appears in fanfic, in fandom, where people are more free to share their social reservations and be accepted for them. It's one thing to expect people to learn to understand enough social cues to effectively communicate (even though it's not easy for some of us); it's an invasion of identity when you expect introverts to learn to love large social events.

Disclaimer: There's a lot of variation among introverts, I know, but for the sake of this post I'm talking about generalizations that do run true among many of my introverted acquaintances.