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Rowan Sanan (he/him/his), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

Fandoms have changed greatly over the years, especially as internet and social culture has shifted. More “underground” communities like those of the game Dungeons & Dragons have since turned into mainstream global presences both in person and online. Where one of the only places to meet like-minded people in your fandom may have been conventions in the past, now it is possible to meet anyone, anywhere, through blogs, fan forums and social media. This created an outlet for real-time access to other fans and creators to share interests, fanart, memes and videos. Countless collaborations and new ideas have developed from it. 

The psychology of fandom runs quite deep. Connection and identity are huge parts of fandom, especially when it comes to attaching to a particular topic and sharing that connection with others. These attachments can be emotional bonds with stories and characters and can lead to emergences of communities that all rally behind those common attachments. These communities can be extremely beneficial to people who may be unable to make connections in other ways. For example, a disabled or neurodivergent individual may be unable to speak to others in person, but can make friends through online spheres using these fandom spaces. 

In this way, it can be extremely helpful for people struggling from mental illness or stress. These supportive environments can be very empowering, especially when paired with a passion or interest. They provide emotional escape and stress reduction, as well as creative outlets for people to share their work, ideas, excitement and opinions. Fandoms sometimes have negative reputations for being cult-like or “nerdy,” or for being immature. After all, they often cater toward teens or children. However, these communities can be beneficial for anyone because of the sense of community that they bring. 

Even though they can have negative connotations, fandoms have huge influences on pop culture and activism. Niche or nerdy fandom interests like comics and gaming have become part of dominant mainstream culture. For example, in the past, Marvel and DC comics may have been considered “nerdy” and weird, but now they are both some of the largest movie, game, comic and series franchises in the world. Part of fandom is that the content made from these sources is relatable, fascinating or new, and hooks people in with ease. 

As for activism, it is fascinating to see how fans leverage their collective voices in both online and in-person spheres to push for change and address social issues. A lot of fandom content, whether it be mainstream or indie, has subtle or overt commentary on world issues. A large part of fandom, just as creators influence their fans, has to do with fans influencing the creators or the world around them. This can include pushing creators to be inclusive and add representation to their content or creating whole communities based on these fandoms to create change. 

Fandoms can last for years and years as well. Often, older fans will rediscover their favourite franchises from childhood as the content resurges with younger fans. For example, the show Doctor Who recently featured both their first female Doctor and first Black Doctor. These innovations in what the show typically was—white male Doctors and their female companions—created a tidal wave where older fans returned to see the new content. Of course, some of them were disappointed with the changes or the writing itself, but these reboots, remakes and anniversary editions still bring older viewers back. Whether it is because of curiosity or sentimental value, old fans return to their fandoms all the time.

Despite these incredible things, the internet and fandom don’t come without toxicity. Gatekeeping, or arbitrarily limiting certain groups from accessing the content of a particular fandom, is a popular way of fans keeping certain communities secret or away from the common sphere. These methods create unwelcoming environments, especially when the gatekeeping is motivated by something like racism, ageism, sexism and/or homophobia. Online bullying of marginalized groups is, unfortunately, somewhat common in various fandoms, which affects the communities that fandoms try to build. 

Another way that toxicity remains in fandom is the relationship between consumer and creator. One common example is YouTube creators and their fans. Parasocial relationships between these YouTubers and their fans happen when fans develop an obsessive need to know everything about their favourite—their love lives, their home lives, where they live or work, which other creators they like or dislike, and more. The communities made through fandom can be extremely connecting and liberating, but they can create situations like these where creators are made uncomfortable by their own fans. 

Even though there is that toxicity between creators and fans, it is still important to acknowledge the incredible things that come out of fandoms. Fans can expand on their favourite stories through fanart, fanfiction, summary and review content, and more. It can often enrich the original material and lead to ever-growing branches of content, like those seen on the YouTube series Game Theory. Expanding the original content and creating fan-based industries brings these fandoms even closer together, weaving communities through a common adoration of “nerdy” content. 

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Rowan is a university student who loves to write books and poetry, read all kinds of books and spend time with his family and pets.