Over the past few months, I have seen the argument that fangirl/fandom culture is dying, and I disagree

When I see the question “Is fandom culture dying?” I always say that it is not, it is just different than what it used to be, which makes sense due to the rise of social media.

When I think of the different generations, I like to compare what the era was like. For millennials, the internet and social media wasn’t as big of a thing as it is now, so the culture back then was different. To connect with other people within the fandoms, you mainly had to physically meet in person. While with newer generations, like Gen Z or Gen Alpha, you are able to connect and build relationships with people within your fandom online and it makes it 10 times easier. So, in that aspect, the change is warranted and makes sense. 

One thing that I do agree with in the sense of the culture “dying” is the way it’s done. For example, when I was young, fan fiction was always being written about people teens are in love with. A big example is One Direction. Nowadays people think fanfictions are cheesy, creepy or embarrassing, which is sad because they were a huge part of the culture. I have seen some still being written but it isn’t as popular as they used to be. 

Something else I’ve witnessed that could be a potential downfall is that people are simply embarrassed about it, which it shouldn’t be. People should feel prideful to be a fan of someone no matter the extent. I’ve heard people saying it’s just not “cool” and  I have seen all over social media people making fun of certain fandoms or the way they express themselves which isn’t right and something I hope does not drive younger generations away. 

Another thing I have noticed is the quick rise of “stan” Twitter, which refers to groups of fandoms who share content about a certain celebrity or other media they are collectively fans of. In my opinion, this is the greatest advancement we’ve had.

I remember stan Twitter being such a huge part of the 2010s era. With fan pages about actors and actresses, YouTubers and musicians, stan Twitter has become a place where people can openly discuss things that happen with celebrities, such as new music or movie releases, merch releases or other exciting news revolving around their favorite people. Stan Twitter has provided people with communities where they feel safe to talk about their favorites. Although it can get toxic at times, it’s still something in fandom culture that I thoroughly enjoy and I hope that doesn’t change. 

In conclusion, I don’t believe that the culture is dying at all. I believe that it’s evolving over time and will continue to grow with different trends coming out and more people becoming bigger public figures. Being in a fandom can provide a ton of opportunities to meet lifelong friends like I have. I hope it never dies out and other teens can experience that sense of community it brings. I hope that it continues to unite people and bring joy and a sense of belonging to many generations in the future.