#academic post

According to data found from Statista, the COVID-19 pandemic gave Nielsen TV ratings some of the biggest jumps they knew they needed, struggling against streaming platforms for a while. Before people hunkered down at home, there were still spaces that demanded time and attention- perhaps displaced by Tumblr strife and the ending of several pillars shows that the platform relied on. But since the pandemic's start in March 2020, there hasn't just been a television renaissance for even the unlikeliest of network shows, but in fanworks about those shows. Ao3 site traffic spiked heavily moving into April and continued to increase throughout the initial phase of quarantine, showing substantial growth throughout the end of the year and into 2021.

During the darkest of times, the toughest "real life" can get, in the middle of a global pandemic, people lost connection. They lost interaction, busy lifestyles. They turned to their television screens to rectify that loss.

According to Insider, "Authors are using fan fiction as a means of coping with the situation, putting their favorite characters in situations that invoke classic fan fiction tropes." This is the effect TV has on the masses- and we can even see a renaissance in older fans coming back to the art. Lively conversations are still taking place on every platform about responsible community building, and organizing akin to a political movement. The fanpeople are getting older, yes; but they're sticking around, and more are created every day.

What we're owed is smart, intentional, representative TV. Shows like One Day At A Time, Never Have I Ever, and Sex Education are creating new waves of interest on all of the most important platforms. With the involvement of older fans, fans that have seen what unhealthy Internet culture can look like, there's new infrastructure being built to encourage a more responsible, inclusive community.

What we're owed is responsible creating, and safe spaces to channel the love we have back into our favorite shows. We owe ourselves, more than anything, a way to create and enjoy the works we love. There are even scientific benefits to it.

According to Brianna Wiest of Teen Vogue, “Connecting with people over shared passions and interests is good for mental and emotional health because it helps to create a fraternity-like or family-like sense of security. It's also generally fun to scheme and get excited about something with others, and gives them a subject to talk about that they know will always be well received.”

Maybe the connotation behind a word like "fanatic" will never change. Maybe platforms like this one are destined to remain the joke in the cultural landscape, rooted in stereotypes about silly teenage girls and shows that have been off the air for years. I'd argue that the data we have to back up this growing interest and commitment to fandom is one of the most impressive things a group of people can display, akin to political mobilization.

And we might just be getting started.

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Buchholz, K., & Richter, F. (2020, March 19). Infographic: Virus outbreak gives TV ratings a boost. Statista Infographics. Retrieved December 11, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/chart/21175/network-tv-ratings-most-popular-shows/.

Haasch, P. (2020, March 17). Coronavirus is starting to show up in fan fiction, placing iconic characters in quarantine. Insider. Retrieved December 11, 2021, from https://www.insider.com/coronavirus-fan-fiction-quarantine-social-distancing-shipping-escapism-ao3-2020-3.

Organization for Transformative Works. (2020, May 9). AO3 Statistics 2020: A Look Behind the Scenes. Archive of Our Own. Retrieved December 11, 2021, from https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/15931.