The advent and revolutionary success of social media, combined with a fairly universal love of and appreciation for pop culture, and the development of viral trends (such as memes), means that the interplay of social media and popular entertainment is becoming increasingly pervasive and unavoidable. With this emerges the development of fandoms, or fan communities devoted to the appreciation of a particular aspect of pop culture, be it a movie, television show, book series, podcast, computer game, band, or any other aspect of entertainment that can develop a loyal following. While fandoms oftentimes gather online via social platforms like Reddit and Tumblr, they can also congregate in person during music festivals, comic-cons, and other large-scale events that involve fans meeting together in tribute to their topic of interest.
Unfortunately, fandoms oftentimes get a bad rap for encouraging obsessive behavior, and numerous healthcare professionals have written about the negative implications of being part of a fandom. Dr. Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist and television personality, detailed on the subject, “Most fandom is distraction. People who are living their lives completely have very little time to be significant fans of anything, but people avoid struggling to find themselves because that journey is painful.” Pair viewpoints like these with the national attention surrounding fandom-related crimes like the 2014 Slender Man Stabbing and initially, it seems like a strong case can be made against fandoms, but if you dig a little deeper into psychological research as it pertains to fandoms, it becomes evident that the benefits of membership in a fandom greatly outweigh its less exalted qualities. Particularly, members of fandoms are more likely to feel happier and more inspired, while being less likely to feel isolated than their fandom-less counterparts.
The most obvious perk of being part of a fandom is the spirit of community, in which members are all linked to each other in a common interest. This makes way for social interaction/relationship and the formation of bonds, both of which directly increase an individual’s level of happiness. This sense of community and purpose, and its relation to happiness on an individual level, has been an important topic of study in the realms of psychology and sociology for centuries, most notably perhaps in Émile Durkheim’s 1897 book "Suicide", which noted that people are significantly less likely to commit suicide when they feel that they are part of a community, and when they feel that they serve a function therein.
For a member of a fandom, this sentiment of purpose, even if placed toward the creation of fan fiction pieces, gifs, and forms of entertainment, still serves a necessary function in achieving mental health and stability.
And, of course, engaging with a community that creates art in any form or capacity is likely to inspire creativity in those interacting with said community. In her Vulture article “Is There Something Psychologically Unhealthy About Being a Fan?” Phoebe Reilly draws attention to the difference between participation in a fandom and any other hobby, noting that it is “a bit different from hobbies like cooking or learning an instrument in that fandom is in the service of someone else’s creativity rather than one’s own.”
However, we needn’t allocate this to the negative side of fandoms. Notable works are oftentimes inspired by preexisting masterpieces, with nearly every acclaimed writer or artist imaginable, even Shakespeare, having drawn inspiration from works that already existed. If the work of one person inspires another to create something, even if it is not independent of the original content, it still involves creation and some degree of personal originality. It is still art.
In the midst of a time when mental disorders, particularly anxiety and depression, are manifesting themselves at historically unprecedented levels, any groups that serve to bring people together and make them happier should be encouraged rather than denigrated. Perhaps society as a whole should be more supportive of the hobbies and interests that bring others a sense of fulfillment, whether or not everyone sees them as valuable uses of time.
