Everyone has certain interests or hobbies that make them happy. Some people enjoy reading trashy romance novels or fan fiction, some are constantly adding to their massive anime merchandise collections, and some are addicted to phone games like "Candy Crush." Often people have at least one interest they label as a "guilty pleasure," usually something they consider embarrassing and might not be comfortable telling others about. "Guilty pleasure" is a blanket term that can cover anything from watching kids' cartoons to ballet dancing, but no matter what the actual hobby is, calling it a guilty pleasure implies that it's something a person should feel bad about doing. It's a source of happiness that is either kept under strict lock and key, or sheepishly admitted to someone else with the expectation of being mocked in return. It's a common phenomenon, one that I think begs the question, "Why should we be ashamed of what we enjoy?"

To use myself as an example, I tend to be entertained by various media that some people might consider "childish." I love animated movies above all others, I still read books about talking cats, and have a matching game of Disney Tsum-Tsums on my phone. Up until the past few years or so, I was too self-conscious to tell anyone that I loved Pokemon because I assumed everyone would think it was "too nerdy." It's been close to my heart my entire life, yet I used to believe it was something I should hide because my peers would judge me for it. I felt guilty about a passion that still never fails to make me smile. So why do we put so much pressure on ourselves and on others to hide our interests? Shouldn't we encourage one another to do whatever makes us happy?

Since I first fell into the black hole of the Internet – some six years ago now – I've noticed an evolution of sorts taking place when it comes to guilty pleasures. Two different words tend to be thrown around social media that mean roughly the same thing as a guilty pleasure: "trash" and "garbage." For instance, many times when someone makes a post about a fandom they're in, they'll caption it with something like, "I'm such anime trash" or "I am literal garbage." Aside from the fact that I doubt literal piles of garbage are surfing the Internet, I've found that comments like these are both better and worse than calling something a guilty pleasure. The upside is that, somehow, declaring yourself a specific kind of trash assimilates you into a community of fellow trash people. If someone enjoys the same "trashy" interest as you, odds are they will flock to your post, eager to show that they completely understand you. So, in a sense, using "trash" to describe your guilty pleasures creates a strange sense of camaraderie between people that may actually make you feel less guilty about what you love.

The downside to this dilemma is the fact that "trash" and "garbage" sound much harsher than "guilty pleasure" does. If we take a step back and actually look at the words we're using for our passions, do we really want to be calling ourselves trash? Doesn't that just make it seem more self-deprecating than something we're embarrassed about but enjoy anyway? My friends and I toss around both "trash" and "garbage" all the time – I even used it at the start of this article to describe romance novels. Although we never mean any harm by it, these aren't exactly terms of endearment. Why should we have to equate our interests to garbage just to excuse ourselves for having them? Why can't we just enjoy them for what they are without taking jabs at ourselves?

Now, with all this in mind, I can't ignore the fact that some "guilty pleasures" are legitimately bad for you. Eating too many sweets, for example, is one of my guilty pleasures, and that can have serious health consequences if I'm not careful. There may be some activities that one person might consider their guilty pleasure, while other people might look at it and think it's incredibly dangerous or wrong. In my opinion, as long as someone's guilty pleasure is harmful to neither themselves nor other people, then there should be no reason for them to feel ashamed of it. If your guilty pleasure is potentially harmful, especially to others, perhaps taking a step back and reevaluating your situation might be a good idea.

At the end of the day, we as individuals should be able to feel proud of who we are and of what makes us happy. Whatever your "guilty pleasure" might be, or whatever kind of "trash" you are, those interests are a part of you. Instead of trying to hide them or excuse them away, embrace them. Life is supposed to be fun, and if you aren't living it the way you enjoy most, then you're always going to be missing out.