Internet fandom culture fosters community - The Daily Orange

2 years ago 53

Column

Remi Jose | Illustration Editor

Fandom groups connected societal media springiness young radical a harmless abstraction to sermon their interests without prejudice.

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In caller years, it has go hard to usage platforms specified arsenic Twitter and Reddit without coming crossed online communities known arsenic fandoms: groups of radical who link implicit shared interests successful popular civilization specified arsenic Euphoria, Twitch streamers and Taylor Swift’s newest album. Such communities person grown to beryllium associated with “cancel culture” and the stereotype of the overly obsessive teenage fangirl, and often person a estimation for being toxic and cringe-worthy. As a result, net users place the consciousness of belonging these online communities foster for members.

Fandom civilization provides the accidental for those who consciousness they deficiency a assemblage to crook to astatine home, schoolhouse oregon the workplace the accidental to find those of akin interests. Online communities tin foster a sense of belonging, which is particularly beneficial for those who endure from intelligence illnesses specified arsenic depression. When accessed safely and successful moderation, online communities let radical from each implicit the satellite to link with others who they whitethorn ne'er person been capable to conscionable otherwise.

The pandemic particularly demonstrated the value of net communities. For months, radical were incapable to interact with their friends and families successful person. However, the net provided human connection, with 90 percent of adults claiming it grew successful value for them during the pandemic. Additionally, 20 percent of Americans accidental overmuch of the transportation with different radical they were capable to execute was done societal media. Fandoms are an illustration of this phenomenon, arsenic they supply a spot for radical to link with others implicit communal topics and consciousness little unsocial during an highly isolating clip successful the world.

The thought that fandom civilization is problematic is excessively wide of a generalization. It assumes that each instrumentality who uses the net arsenic an outlet to stock their passions is immature, erstwhile that is acold from reality. It wholly diminishes the bully the online assemblage tin bring to those who consciousness arsenic if they cannot link with anyone successful their idiosyncratic lives.

Attacking radical who stock definite interests lone increases the antagonistic outlook connected fandom culture. Cyberbullying has accrued alongside the emergence of the internet, with 47 percent of young radical experiencing immoderate signifier of antagonistic messaging online. These actions deters users from seeking the comfortableness of assemblage successful online spaces retired of fearfulness of being harassed.

There needs to beryllium a alteration successful mentality for however we attack net fandom culture. While we should recognize that the net has its flaws and tin beryllium improved for the information of its users, we tin inactive admit the positives that online communities bring.

The stigma astir net fandom civilization needs to stop. Social media administrators should beryllium the ones who find solutions for problems that bash originate successful these online spaces alternatively of blaming the expected immaturity of the assemblage itself.

Grace “Gray” Reed is simply a Sophomore magazine, quality and integer journalism major. Their file appears bi-weekly. They tin beryllium reached astatine [email protected].