Pros of Social Media for Fandom
As discussed previously, social media has allowed for fans to connect and interact more quickly and easily, as social media allows users to engage with people all over the world. But there are more positives!
This connection aspect of social media allows fans to find their identity within a fandom. Not only is it with other fans, but also with the media they are fans of. Being a fan myself, when I was deep into using my fan account as a teen, I felt a sense of identity and belonging, as some of my interests were not shared with my friends IRL. This was during peak COVID as well, so having an outlet to explore my interests and be part of a community felt so special. I was able to connect with people who were similar to me that I would have never interacted with or met if it weren't for social media. I am just one example lol. Many other fans have found their identities, whether it is by their gender, sexuality, or race. Disabled and neurodivergent fans have also found community and identity. Unfortunately, these identities are not without hate comments.
Social media also allows for fan creativity to flourish! We see this with fanfiction, fan-made movies, edits, and fan art. Social media serves as a creative outlet for fans to share their hard work for other fans to enjoy! It is such a sweet and heartwarming aspect of fandom that is one of my favorite reasons of being a fan. People are so talented, and I love to appreciate their work!
Social media has been used to help with social justice. Two main roles fandoms play in social justice movements are as a platform for activism and as a form of communication about these movements. Fans mobilize together for certain causes and participate in campaigns that support marginalized communities, such as the Black Lives Matter movement. Fans will also use social media to make posts raising awareness and spreading information regarding certain social justice issues, allowing for other fans to become educated on the matter. Fans have even worked together to raise money for charities and organized their own charity events. Because social media is so public, it allows for mass communication, which is helpful when a fandom is trying to raise awareness on a social justice issue. There have been many examples of fandoms using social media for social justice, which I will explore in the next post. :)
