Gen Z is no stranger to fan culture. Like our predecessors (millennials), we have had a massive impact on how our media is cultivated. We’ve created fanfictions, forums, and multifandom song edits that only get more gut-wrenching over time. As Gen Z continues to grow older, the media stands the test of time. Yet our interests don’t seem to be growing as fast as we age.
As I’m sure we’ve all noticed, when younger Gen Z and older Gen Alpha reach the ever-so-precarious age of unrestricted internet access (13, pretending to be 15), we twentysomethings are consistently finding ourselves in communities with baby stans.
I first noticed this while scrolling through X, formerly known as Twitter. A fan posted a thirst tweet about one of the lead actors of a popular YA adaptation that took off in early 2024. The tweet drew backlash from another fan who garnered a considerable number of likes.
The first thing I did after reading the quote tweet and original tweet was to check if they stated their ages in their biographies. Context has never been more important on the internet than it is right now. After further research, I found that the original thirst tweet was by a high school-aged teen, and the admonishing reply was by someone in their early twenties.
The older fan was (reasonably) concerned about the thirsting after a minor, but didn’t check whether the other fan could’ve also been a minor. Both tweets have since been deleted, but it gave me a lot to think about.Â
While this discussion is not about the ethics of thirst tweets, I do think it should draw attention to the age ranges of those involved in fandoms.Â
In this era of reboots and high school teen dramas, where does older Gen Z fit in fan culture?
After all, I sure wasn’t being reprimanded by adults years my senior about my own engagement in classic RPF (Real Person Fanfiction). My point isn’t to take away interests from young adults, but to become more cognizant of our place in the world as it stands. I know this is easier said than done.
Our future looks pretty bleak: The job market is crashing, studio apartments are $3,000 per month (plus a security deposit equal to one month’s rent), and three items from the grocery store will run you $40. It’s natural to want to cling to nostalgia and the media that reminds people of their youth, back when they had no care in the world.
But for us, it’s nostalgia, and for teens, it’s right now.
This, coupled with a drought of young adult TV shows and movies, is only making it harder. However, I predict we’ll see a rise in shows and movies set in college and the workplace (fingers crossed).
I say this in a whole lot of words: let the kids “have their thing” without the adults surveilling them and applying their moral code to teens in fandom spaces. Maybe at this point in our adult lives, we should consider learning to be content with just observing and silently engaging with the fandoms of our youth.Â