#qafan

Dylan Johnstone, Student, Glasgow. Twitter: @DylanJohnstonex

What does being a fan mean to you? Being a fan is supporting an artist or supporting something. More than the average person does. You go to gigs and you even go as far as to meet the people you're a fan of.

How would you describe the impact twitter has had on the fandom you're involved with? I'm a member of the Union J fandom and the impact twitter has had is being able to know exactly what they're getting up to on a daily basis and keeping informed.

Anthony Palazzolo, 18, Australia. Twitter: @anthpalazzolo 

What is being a fan to you? To me personally there is not a certain way in which you HAVE to be a fan but there are certain aspects which should be fulfilled in order for you to be a fan. What being a fan means to me is that you show some interest/enjoyment in their work because at the end of the day that's how that particular person/group communicates themselves to the fans.

How would you describe the impact twitter has had on the fandom you're involved in? Without sounding like someone who is completely reliant on social media I would like to commend twitter for being one of the greatest social media sites ever created. I joined twitter a few years ago with the intention of keeping up to date with one direction and since then it's helped me create new friends through the fans who I talk to on a regular basis (such as the kid I'm currently answering these questions for). As for the impact it's made on the fandom I'm in I just think it's kept me more up to date with with what's happening with the boys.

What's the most extreme fan situation you've found yourself in? I think the most extreme fan situation I have been in was when my friends and I bought a tent and camped on private grounds because the hotel One Direction were staying at was completely booked out. Do you believe being a part of a fandom can change the way a person acts in certain situations? Look at the end of the day some people are going to be more susceptible to manipulation from various fandoms so for me it's always going to come down to the individual person. For example myself as an 18 year old fan has not behaved or showed signs of behaving differently just because I'm apart of a fandom that has a majority or young female fans associated with it.

Harvii Kindlon, London. Twitter: @HARVIIKILLS

What is being a fan to you? Being a fan is enjoying someones work. Appreciating what they have to give I suppose. Also loving the person, loads of people look up to image these days, so I think that has a big impact also.

How would you describe the impact twitter has had on the fandoms you're involved in? I think with Twitter, because a lot of celebrities have it, fans feel more connected to them and their lives, so which is why there are now so many fanpages. Also so many people use it now to make friends who love the same celebrities and its a way to connect with people. It definitely has a big impact on people, like I love quite a few people, but one of the celebrities is One Direction they have such a big following on twitter that it updates you on everything they do.

Describe a crazy fan situation you've witnessed. Well I have seen crazy situations, I have seen people jumping on Lady Gaga's car, banging on Justin Biebers car and hysterically crying, etc. But probably the most extreme is when I have seen fans sneak inside One Directions hotel and chase them and try to get into their rooms.

If you could go back in time and not be involved in the celebrity world, would you? Why? Yes and no, you see a lot of people think that being involved with fandoms and meeting celebrities is weird. But you never truly understand it until you actually see it for yourself, it kinda changed the way you think. You meet great people from it and it actually changes the way you think of life in a way. Also it helps people find themselves. But then again you can get so into fandoms etc that it can take over your way of thinking and you become so obsessed, which causes you to put bigger priorities behind.

Jessica Nagy, Student, Yorkshire. Twitter: @JessNagy

What is being a fan to you? Being a fan is extremely important to me, I feel that I have grown up alongside them and that they are actually a part of who I am. Going to see them and having friends around me that feel the same about them has affected my life massively and I don't believe I would be the person I am without these experiences and without the friends I have acquired over the past 3 years. Being a fan means, to me, being extremely determined, patient and understanding without letting certain things get to you, I do sincerely believe that being part of a fandom and being a fan has almost shaped me into a better person as it has taught me interesting yet valuable life lessons.

How would you describe the impact twitter has on the fandom you’re involved in? Twitter has had an extremely significant impact, especially due to the moumentous rise of the amount of people that now have an account compared to a few years ago. Twitter is a quick way to spread the word and ultimately can inform people about pretty much anything. Twitter can connect fans to each other as well as the celebrities themselves giving fans the opportunity to connect on a different level that might not have been available before Twitter launched. Without Twitter, fans wouldn't be able to share their opinions and bond over what they're passionate about and the celebrities themselves would struggle to maintain their fame without the promotion that Twitter can offer.

What is the most extreme fan situation you’ve been involved in? I have been involved in an abundance of fan situations, some more manic than others, probably the most extreme situation would probably be at a radio tour, when people try to promote their music by visiting different radio stations. At one specific radio station in Manchester there must have been around 500 girls all crammed into one car park, who to try get to One Direction actually climbed on top of cars that weren't theirs, ran into glass windows and chased cars down a main road. It was all extremely chaotic and in some ways quite unsettling to see the lengths that some would go to, just to get close to the person they are obsessed with.

Many people believe a fandom has the ability to cause people to behave in a way they wouldn’t normally behave. Do you agree? To a certain extent I believe being in a fandom can change a person in the sense of competition and jealousy. To some people meeting their favourite celebrities is the culmination of everything they've hoped for and when others stop that from happening people can act extrememly irrationally. Also some people can become extremely jealous of fans that have maybe met their favourite celebrity more than them or if they deem that person not worthy enough of seeing them, being in a fandom can be an extremely unreasonable and sometimes almost a nasty thing to be involved in which in some cases can change a person for the worse.

If you could go back in time and not be involved in the fandom you’re in now, would you? I think if I had the option to go back and do things differently I wouldn't, even though there has been some stressful times and some ridiculous lows, the highs always make up for it. I have had some fantastic times and met some amazing people that I class as genuine friends who without being in a fandom I would not have meet and can't imagine not having them in my life now.

Jonathan Gregory, 19, Liverpool. Twitter: @jonnygregoryxo

What is being a fan to you? Being a fan to me is being able to be part of a community that all aim to do the same thing, to care for something or someone that means a lot to us. Although we may never come in direct contact with what or who we are being a fan of, its being able to meet new people whether this be on twitter, or at events, that all share the same interests.

How would you describe the impact twitter has had on the fandom you’re involved in? Twitter has became the main impact on the fandom I am a part of. Every day I am able to log on to see not only what celebrities are doing, but what all my friends are doing, some of these that I wouldn't have met if it wasn't for twitter. Together speaking with my friends has helped me to become more involved in the fandom, I've been able to go to concerts with people I wouldn't have met if it wasn't for twitter. It has also made it so much easier to get information about the celebrities themselves, as if something is happening with them, within minutes someone will have tweeted about it, so I am able to find out all the new information immediately.

What is the most extreme fan situation you’ve been involved in? The most extreme fan situation I have been involved in is the One Direction Movie Premiere. Fans started camping out 2 nights before to be at the front of the barrier to see One Direction walk the red carpet. I started queuing at 8am the day before and was lucky enough to still get a place at the front. By the time the event started there was thousands of fans behind me trying to see them walk the carpet.

Many people believe a fandom has the ability to cause people to behave in a way they wouldn’t normally behave. Do you agree? Yes, I think being part of a fandom does change the way people may behave. I think its the fact that there is so many people that share the same interests as you that you feel like you need to do as they do fit in. If I was to miss out on an event for example, this would make me feel like wasn't as good of a fan as someone else that did go, So I would go to as much effort to try and make sure i can go the event. If i didn't have enough money I would try and sell some of my items to try and get the money to go, or If i wasn't allowed to go for some reason, I would try and lie and then just go because it seems like such a big deal to try and do as much as I can as part of the fandom.

Abbie Caswell, Student, Manchester. Twitter: @abbiecaswell

What is being a fan to you? Listening to 'their' music and being up to date with 'their' lives.

How would you describe the impact twitter has on the fandom you’re involved in? I don't think 1D for example would be so successful without twitter or any social networking sites because these sites helped them reach so many countries that have contributed to their success.

What is the most extreme fan situation you’ve been involved in? I've never been in anything extreme just always been crazy wherever they go. 

Many people believe a fandom has the ability to cause people to behave in a way they wouldn’t normally behave. Do you agree? Yes, I think it can encourage people to be rude to other people on twitter, which is very common with one direction fans. These young people make threats that they obviously wouldn't go through with.

If you could go back in time and not be involved in the fandom you’re in now, would you? No, I have met so many great people and made so many friends and had lots of memories because of them. So I wouldn't go back.