The Death of Fan Culture As We Know and Love It

by Jemima Skelley URL Copied! Are you a Swiftie? A Little Monster? A Potterhead or a Twihard? A former (or current?) Directioner? A Chalamaniac? Everyone’s a fan of something, but entrenching yourself as part of a bona fide fandom is to take it one step further. Or at least, it used to be. var VMDAdsTheLatch = window.

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addHeaderBiddingSlot(slot_teads); }); Fan culture has always been around — just look at the Beatles, Elvis, and Star Trek. You could even look as far back as 1870, when devotees of author Jane Austen created their own fandom subculture, calling themselves Janeites. The very best of The Latch delivered straight to your inbox.

However, there’s no denying that fan culture has truly come to a head in the last few decades. Social Media’s Impact on Fan Culture From the online fan forums of the early 2000s and dedicated Tumblr blogs in the 2010s to Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, fans have embraced the internet and social media to connect over a mutual love for their fandom. On one hand, it’s a great way to make connections, build community and get even more joy from your passion.

It also allowed for a level of dire.