The idea of “fandom” has shifted greatly in the age of social media. Communication and connection facilitated through social networking has made it easier to form online communities that share common interests in musicians, actors, television series, etc. These communities have functions like those in the offline world, serving to be powerful sources of inclusion, as well as of validation and expression of identity. To explore these themes, I focus on the rise of fandoms in the early 2010s, the more recent international fandoms brought about by artists like BTS, and the blurred distinction between fandoms online and offline.

Digital image of fandoms present on Tumblr by Hannah Craig

Learn more about my exploration of belonging and identity here: https://fandomascommunity.wordpress.com/