At the core of being a human, we are innately wired to seek connection; whether that be through friend groups, school, or even connecting with like-minded people who share something as simple as a favorite song, we will always seek sociality.
Without a doubt, there is probably something that you would claim to be a fan of: a type of media, a sports team, etc. However, I think it’s worthwhile to take a deeper look into how fan culture today has become a never-ending surge to find the next best artist, fictional character, or phenomenon to become completely enthralled with.
embracing FANDOM
In the simplest terms, the motivation to become a fan of something occurs in two steps: finding something you like and wanting to find others who do as well. It comes as no surprise that having a sense of connection can bring fulfillment and a sense of belonging to someone’s life. Yet many times, people feel compelled to keep up with the latest everything. Social media has played a large role in shaping how we form a reciprocity between what may be trending on a given day and how it can make us feel included in a larger community.
Being a fan of different things has brought meaning to my life, given me some of my closest friends, and made me have a more positive outlook on my own life. I’ve turned to music I love during hard times to help me get through challenges. On a certain level, I do feel emotionally connected to the things I consider myself a fan of; I wouldn’t be myself without them.
Today, there’s a lot of stigma around being a fan, oftentimes being seen as “too much.” Yet finding the healthy balance where being a fan can provide meaning and give you something to be part of can be beneficial for your mental health, self-expression, and identity.
At a neurochemical level, being a fan increases dopamine and oxytocin levels, which are responsible for our feelings of excitement and love, respectively. So, you are not “too much” for loving the things you love.
BANDWAGON FANS
In true teenage girl fashion, I can say with utmost honesty that I have gotten myself wrapped up in a myriad of fandoms that seem to take over my life in one way or another. While some are short-lived–such as a binge-watch session of a new show that results in me staying up too late to watch TikToks about what other people have to say about it– others have lasted since childhood.
There’s sometimes an unspoken seniority-based hierarchy in some fandoms, and liking something for a short time frame is looked down on. Yet, I don’t think there’s any shame in being a fan of something for a while and then moving on to something new. Just because you have not been a fan of something for as long as someone else does not diminish your value as a fan in any way.
Furthermore, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) motivates fans to consistently engage in a fandom day to day to feel “good enough” and be part of the group. Many fandoms (especially book and musician ones) have exclusive references that are often unintentional but can seem the opposite. This is commonly where FOMO stems, as it merges with the seniority of being a fan. It sometimes takes months or years to learn all of the lore associated with a fandom, making people feel less than if they don’t instantly understand everything.
FAN VERSUS STAN
I recently learned that the term stan is more than a heightened version of the term fan; It’s derived from “stalker” and “fan.” Though the term has now strayed far from its origins, the traditional stan persists today in ways that skew fan culture into seeming more obsessive than it actually is.
While reading about this topic, I came across a book that caught my attention, focusing on the concept of being a fan. The author’s take was rather harsh on singling out devoted fans for being “psychologically inept,” yet this quote, “Fandom, especially ‘excessive’ fandom, is defined as a form of psychological compensation, an attempt to make up for all that modern life lacks,” bridged the gap between many para-social relationships and unfortunate occurrences that result when being a fan goes too far in the wrong direction.
When the point of mental instability and fanship become intertwined, the potential to cross a severe boundary arises. Some stans have believed they were in a committed relationship with a celebrity or vied for their attention relentlessly through threats. This subsequently suggests that there is an instability in the basis of the psyche of the stan. Being a fan is all fun and games until it’s not.
So, to me, being a fangirl means loving the music and books I love without letting anyone tell me it’s “weird” or “obsessive.” Being a fan has been, and always will be, a part of myself that makes me, me! I cannot picture a life without the things that I’m a fan of; they ultimately make me a happier person and bring more community and belonging than anything else.