I’ve been chronically online since a very young age, for better or for worse. Being a young, quote-unquote “weird kid” with unrestricted internet access led to the formation of many core memories, including writing and publishing fanfictions, starting multiple fan accounts across social media, and somehow kickstarting the “Happy Stutter” TikTok editing trend from 2022. No, I’m not kidding.
Although these bits of lore can definitely be deemed cringeworthy or embarrassing, I choose to look at them through a different lens. In more ways than one, freely embracing the cringe in my adolescence led to many of my current passions blooming as an adult.
Fandom culture is a beautiful thing, despite the notions people may have about it. I firmly believe that letting your freak flag fly and soaking up the weirdness is truly a canon event for self-discovery.
Fandom culture in context
The concept of fandom culture encompasses a wide variety of communities and media, but at its core, it’s the ideas, trends, languages, and identities that stem from within a specific fandom. Just like worldly cultures, these trends all differ wildly between each fandom; no two are exactly the same.
Using some of the fandoms I was heavily involved in as examples, take the Harry Potter fanbase, excluding new-gen 2020 #DracoTok. The identifying name was “Potterheads,” with niche references attached to the affiliation, such as the lightning symbol for Harry’s scar and the phrase “Dumbledore asked calmly.”
Another example is the Dan and Phil fanbase, called “the Phandom” or “Phannies,” with symbols like cat whiskers and “Don’t cry, craft!” These trends ring true for fandoms across all niches. BTS’ fans were assigned the nickname “ARMY,” “Swifties” for Taylor Swift, “Half-Bloods” for Percy Jackson, and the list goes on.
When you think of apps like Tumblr or Amino (rest in peace) and the thriving fan communities that arose from those spaces, fandom culture in online contexts provided an outlet for people with mutual interests to come together over a shared love of a book, a band, or anything in between.
Where fandom culture has led me
Personally, I’ll forever vouch for being a little cringe if it means being able to immerse yourself in your creative passions. The first fanfiction I ever made was on Quotev when I was around 10 years old, and I truly believe it was the catalyst for my love of editing, writing, and publishing.
On top of that, starting an Instagram fan account when I was 13 years old opened a gateway not only for video editing, but for being able to analyze social media trends and algorithms.
Now, I’m a Marketing major with a double major in Interdisciplinary Humanities. Even though I didn’t recognize it at the time, these core memories helped guide me into discovering both my passions and my prospective career choices.
Cringe but free
Fandom culture has unfortunately died down from the mainstream, with the last intense surge happening in 2020 with things like the Dream SMP and, again, #DracoTok when everyone was forced to be online to maintain connection with each other.
When looking back on these surges, some may consider fandom culture to be cringeworthy, but the opposite is true. Fandom culture, or “cringe culture,” as it has somewhat evolved into, is a wonderful thing in the way it allows people to authentically interact with a piece of media, producing new art and new stories in response and creating a cycle of new works to discover and fall in love with all over again.
While the moniker “cringe culture” gives it a negative connotation, there’s something to be said about how immersing yourself in your passions can be a great creative outlet. It might even lead to bigger opportunities or self-discoveries along the way.
The moral of the story? Write that fanfic. Make that fanart. Post that edit. After all, life is always better when you get to be a little freak about the things that make you happy.
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