The expansion of the Internet has allowed fans of media such as television and books to congregate together online. The word used to describe these groups of fans is as a “fandom.” Individuals participate in a variety of activities, but mostly engaging in discussion of their favorite characters in Facebook groups, on Tumblr blogs and through Twitter and Instagram.

I did not know what it was like to be a part of the fandom until I began following Tumblr blogs relating to the ABC television show, "Once Upon A Time." Prior to that, I had been fans of shows, but their fandoms were small and not extremely active. What I found out quickly about the "Once Upon A Time"fandom is that it is expansive. There are thousands of fans constantly posting their opinions about the show, not to mention fanfiction, fan art and fan videos in appreciation of their favorite characters and couples.

There are many positives to being within the fandom. It is easy to meet people who have an interest in the same characters as you. You can also have in-depth conversations exploring character development, plot arcs and especially the fun stuff like how attractive certain actors or actresses are. These are individuals you can feel free to talk to about what another person might view as silly and have no shame. There is also the exposure to all sorts of creative talent. The "Once"fandom contains many creative minds who dedicate countless hours to creating incredible Photoshop projects, beautiful paintings and sketches, mesmerizing GIFs, well-written fanfiction stories and intricate fan videos. The fandom allows for a place of creativity to be nurtured.

This piece of the fandom has allowed me to express my adoration of my favorite characters by sharing photo edits I have created, fanfiction stories I have written and fan videos I have spent days working on. It has also allowed other individuals to respond, and I have received some very sweet comments and messages from other fans that help me recognize just how many good people there are in the fandom. I also regularly leave positive feedback on the work of others because writers, artists and creators deserve to know when they do an amazing job.

For as many beautiful things as there are about fandom life, there are also several downsides that should be addressed. As of late, the "Once"fandom has become a place filled with hate. The romantic relationships on the show are always a point of contention among fans, and this can spur some very vicious arguments, making it very personal. Not liking a “ship,” or relationship for some, gives justification to tweet the actors and make accusations about the character and actor themselves. Individuals freely send hate to the actors, producers, writers and creators of the show, saying things to them that I will not rewrite here. Just because you sit behind a screen does not make it okay to spew hate at someone, particularly personal attacks and suicide suggestions. In some ways, social media allows for far too many lines to be crossed. I was having a conversation with a fellow "Oncer" just the other day about how I am always nervous when I tweet an actor something positive. It was difficult to comprehend how people could say such cruel things to another individual all because of a TV show! Many of the actors on the show have already pulled back on their social media presence. What will it take for them to shut down their accounts and retreat from the audience entirely? Is that what these hateful individuals want? I certainly cannot see how they think their objectives will be solved by hate.

I have never been the victim of harassing within the fandom. However, I know people who have and how this can affect their mental state. It can drive people out of the fandom and trigger those already suffering from anxiety and/or depression. This defeats the purpose. Being a fan of something should be fun, not induce stress.

As I write this, my thoughts are on the events in Orlando two weeks ago, which were at least partially inspired by hate. This shows how far hatred can go. Therefore, when fans are supposed to love something, why is there so much ugliness created over a work of fiction? Will these national examples of pure hatred show us just how far hate can take us?

This article is only my experiences with a single fandom. It is not representative of every experience. However, it is important to acknowledge that the fandom experience has both good and bad components to it. Most of the time, the good outweighs the bad, and the negativity can be minimized by not perpetuating the drama and hate and combat it by sending positive thoughts to the actors/writers/creators you admire. What is most important is how the individual reacts to it. A fandom experience is what a person makes of it, and the best way I have learned to navigate the fandom is to acknowledge the positive and not engage with the negative. It is not only best for the state of mind of an individual, but for the health and well-being of the fandom as well.