The current state of r/teenagers is one of chaos and discord. The main cause of this is the recent changes of the rules. However, this change is far from the only reason for the unrest. It brings to light the many problems riddling the subreddit that need to be reviewed and acted upon.

We are a huge, diverse community of over one million teenagers, and our huge variety of interests, hobbies and cultures shouldn't be wiped off the sub purely because others can't relate; they should be celebrated. Banning all memes that aren't 100% relevant to the average teenager is narrow-minded. Learning about what other people enjoy helps us all grow as individuals, and makes us a more developed, tolerant community.

The blurb for r/teenagers describes it as a "community forum run by teenagers for teenagers". This would suggest that we, the users of this sub - and our needs - are the primary focus of the sub, and that it should be handled ultimately in accordance with the community's needs and wants. This makes it inappropriate for mods to ban things out of the blue with total autonomy - a move that flies in the face of the casual, community-driven ideals in mind when the sub was created.

What we are asking for:

• Reconsidering the recent ban and rule change. A full reversal of the shitpost ban and recent change to the rule regarding memes.

• A better democracy. Going forward, to maintain the spirit of community in which the sub was created, mods should not have as much outright autonomy, and the community should get a say in all changes to the sub that affect them.

• A yearly review of the rules to help prevent further incidents like this in the future, and help the sub grow and change with its community.

• A shitpost flair . This would allow the users who don’t enjoy shitposts to filter them out, while preserving them as part of the community for those who enjoy them.

• A more obvious and accessible way to communicate with the moderators. r/teenagers should be a true community, and the mods are volunteers whose role should be to regulate inappropriate content. We are grateful for the work they do, however their role is not one of managerial discretion, and more open communication would further help to bring the community closer.

Thank you.