Fandoms. Love them or hate them, we're all a part of one whether we realize it or not. Being in a fandom just means that you are amongst a body of others who support an individual or an artist/band. Recently, the whole concept of 'fandoms' and what it means to 'stan' somebody or bodies has drastically evolved and not for the better.
To 'stan' someone just means to avidly follow someone and really, really support them with your heart and soul. The most famous 'stans' are that of One Direction, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, etc. It is typically fans of music who become die hard fans versus fans of actors, however, they do also exist. The concept of 'stanning' someone has always been present in society and social media has played a big role in maintaining and advancing the relationships between fans and artists/actors/celebrities.
The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling has quite the fandom, however, it does not compare to, for example, the One Direction or Justin Bieber fandom. It is because being a fan of literature is much different than a fan of an artist or group. Back when the concept of 'stanning' individuals was brought around, people joined or became part of fandoms and connected with others using social media. These 'internet friends' connected on not only music or projects their favorite celebrities were engaging in, but also who they were as individuals, not just how they look or what they wear. However, as times have changed and the mere concept of what it means to be a celebrity and what it means to be a fan has changed, fandoms are less and less focused on supporting individuals who use their platform for good and to inspire their fans and instead focus on the relationships their favorites are in or the clothes their favorites wear.
If you 'stan' a model, then, by all means, it's useful to follow what they wear and which runways they walk on. However, it is also important to stan individuals who are spreading good and positivity and use their platform for good. This does not mean that celebrities with large followings need to be the next Mother Teresas in their own right, but it does mean that they should be more aware of their following and more aware of the world around them instead of cooped up in their own world. The same can be said about society in general. As a whole, we're so consumed by social media and technology that often, for many people, days go by before they really step outside or take a walk in the park. The way the world is today, it is important to be our best, to strive to feel our best and to influence and positively impact the people around us to be their best and do their best because we only have one world and one life to live.
Going back to the topic of how fandoms have evolved, there used to be a time when it was easy to make friends with other people who supported the same artists you did. It used to be easy to strike up a conversation with people who loved and supported the same artists you did, but nowadays everyone just wants their favorite artists or actors to mention them, to follow them back on social media, or to visit their city. It seems the days of flooding artists and celebrities with good messages and telling them how they inspire others is now getting replaced with a flood of messages requesting follows, pictures, or more of an online presence. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it has really overtaken when it means to be part of a fandom and what it means to be a fandom in general.
Being in a fandom does not guarantee a Twitter follow from whoever you are following. No, instead, it guarantees a family of people all over the world who share the same love for the artists you do and want them to succeed and be happy. Being in a fandom means supporting others in the fandom the best you can because at the end of the day you're just one big online family. You hear stories all the time of people who found their best friends online during the 2009-2012 craze where fandoms were really at their A-game and really meant something. But now? I can't even remember the last time I was able to carry on a successful conversation with someone in the same fandom as me without them asking if I can tweet our favorites their name so they could get seen and followed. What does that say about the fandoms?
