Abstract
This paper explores how fandoms facilitate adolescent identity formation. In the modern world, adolescents spend most of their time on social media. The approach used in this analysis was derived from an investigation into the research carried out over the previous five years. Following an analysis of various literary works, three recurring motifs have become apparent. Among these are an introduction to identities, fandom’s influence on adolescents’ lives, and the construction of identities through participation in fandom. The findings revealed that internet fandoms had captured the interest of young individuals and given them a platform to construct an identity that they cannot express in real life. Different people had different ideas on what it meant to make a “contribution” to one’s SGM identity, as well as how that “contribution” impacted one’s identity and advancement as a whole. On the other hand, the overwhelming majority of participants stated that participating in online fandoms was beneficial to their personal growth. In addition, participation in online fandoms enables adolescents to develop excellent relationships with dependable persons and to engage in thought-provoking conversations with those folks. When young person is a part of a fan base, they can freely express themselves, form relationships with people they would never meet in real life, and create an identity with those people.
How Adolescents Find Their Identity through Fandoms
Adolescence is the period between childhood and adulthood, characterized by a number of developmental shifts on biological, psychological, and social levels (Brandes et al., 2021). The adolescent years are crucial to the development of an individual’s identity. Throughout the majority of human history, the process of identity formation took place almost entirely within a small community. However, with the advent of the Internet, many new perspectives have become accessible, giving adolescents more freedom when selecting an identity. Fandoms are online social networks that focus on a particular interest, such as a television show, a celebrity, or even a broader online culture. These communities may be found online (Abd-Rahim, 2019). There has not been much research on how different fandoms interact with the process of identity-building. This study or research aims to expand my knowledge and skill set to the point where I can pursue a career in research and eventually work on studies involving adolescents with mental health issues. Consequently, this is the rationale behind selecting this issue of identity building among adolescents. Moreover, I am aware that social media significantly impacts adolescents’ identity construction, as most adolescents spend most of their time on social networking sites. My research question addresses how adolescents form identities when participating in a fandom: How does participation in fandoms participate in forming an identity for adolescents?
Evaluation of Sources
McInroy, L. B., & Craig, S. L. (2020). “it is like a haven fantasy world”: Online fandom communities and the identity development activities of sexual and gender minority youth. Psychology of Popular Media, 9(2), 236-246. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000234
McInroy & Craig (2020) set out to find how fandom participation participated in the identity-development processes for SGMY. The online survey was conducted in 2016 with 6309 American or Canadian 14-29 years old participants. Out of 4,942 who answered “…,” 71% stated that their participation in fandom contributed to their SGM identity. Some limitations of this survey are that it was convenience-based, 81.35% of the participants identified as white, and the average age of the participants skewed on the younger side of 17.77 years old.
Cheong, K. (2020). Online fandoms provide a space for young people to build an identity they cannot express in real life. Debating Communities and Networks XI. https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2020Curtin/2020/05/11/teens-in-social-networking-spaces-and-what-community-means/
Cheong (2020) sets out to find how teens, through participation in internet fandoms, can develop an identity that they cannot express in their everyday lives. Cheong employed research from other prominent authors or scientists such as Erving Goffman in the study. For instance, Cheong utilized Goffman’s model of identity. According to the paradigm, when we introduce ourselves to new people, we act out a role, much like players in a play (Cheong, 2020).
Smutradontri, P., & Gadavanij, S. (2020). Fandom and identity construction: an analysis of Thai fans’ engagement with Twitter. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 7(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00653-1
Smutradontri & Gadavanij (2020) investigated the relationship between fandom and the formation of identities among Thais. They utilize online media, specifically Twitter, and how Thai fans interact with fan texts on the platform. The study was conducted with tweets and posts from Twitter fans posts sic unit of analysis. More than a million Thais currently utilize this site, making it one of the most visited websites in the country. Twitter is an online service where users can broadcast messages to their followers and interact with other users they admire. Some of the language writings and images posted by fans on Twitter might be considered fan art. So, it is fair to say that Twitter is a gold mine for fan creations. One hundred tweets from four sources were randomly selected, and their analysis suggests five distinct categories of fan tweets. These categories are hypothetical assessment, spectator art, the narrative of anecdotes about the source text; the expression of personal opinions and feelings; and supporter parody.
Introduction to Identities
Self-impression, self-image, self-esteem, as well as uniqueness, are all intertwined with the concept of “identity.” People’s sense of who they are comes from various sources, including their participation in fandoms, their families, their communities, their experiences in formal and informal educational settings, the media, and their friendships. McInroy & Craig’s (2020) survey found that fans were exposed to and perhaps educated on LGBTQ+ identities and phrases that are difficult to find in mainstream media. The survey results demonstrated that the overall background of online fandom engagement and identity advancement was among the unique experiences shaped by the respondent’s specific requirements, interests, and life history. Numerous survey takers noted that fandom was crucial in shaping various facets of their sense of self as an SGM (“They each inform each other, continuously. Without fandom, it would have been impossible for me to describe who I am. Some saw the fandom of others to be less important (“It does not seem to be a big element. Without it, I was still able to embrace my queerness confidently. Importantly, the results show that individuals had varying conceptions of what it meant to make a “contribution” to their SGM identity and how it affected their identity and growth. Most participants noted some positive effects of internet fandom on their personal growth.
Influence of fandom in adolescents’ lives.
According to Cheong, internet fandoms allow young people to develop identities that they cannot express in real life (2020). In the study, Cheong asserts that there is a front stage and backstage where individuals can unwind and no longer care about how others view them. According to Cheong’s thesis, fans like to put on an act in front of others and conceal their genuine interests, and their secret identities can be shared in safe online forums. From this study, the author concluded that most of his resources showed that online fandoms such as Facebook and Twitter help teens develop identity. This is because they can interact more with their fellows. From the study, the author clinched that online communities, also known as fandoms, are groups of people with a shared interest in a particular media entity or celebrity who express their appreciation for one another. This environment is conducive to forming a child’s or adolescent’s identity in a way that may not always be achievable in the “real world.”
Moreover, online fandoms make it possible for teenagers to build significant ties with trusted individuals and to discuss one’s thoughts with those individuals. When young people are part of a fandom, they can freely express themselves and build relationships and identities with people they would never meet in real life. I agree with this theme because, from experience, I can justify that fandoms tremendously impact the youth’s identity formation. A few years ago, when I was a teenager, I used to find comfort in social media because I could air my feelings and thoughts without being looked down upon. Moreover, online fandoms made me develop an identity from those who inspired me.
Fandom and identity construction
Smutradontri & Gadavanij (2020) argue that fandom is crucial in forming individual identities. Nowadays, especially in Thailand, fandom is a social and cultural phenomenon that has emerged from the rise of the Internet. Based on the research conducted, the author concludes that Twitter is one of Thailand’s most widely used social networking sites. Tweets posted by avid followers of a particular media franchise or character. Selected fan tweets showed evidence of numerous fan interpretations of the source text. Findings from this study address the first research question by demonstrating the variety of ways Thai supporters have interacted with fans on Twitter. These include the use of hypothetical interpretation, fan art, narrating anecdotes related to the source text, sharing individual opinions and feelings, as well as fan caricature. “Expressions of feelings and personal sentiments toward source text photos, films, or individual fan experiences” saw the highest levels of engagement. This demonstrates that, rather than a community, Twitter resembles a bulletin board where fans can vent their enthusiasm for their favourite media product. Said, fans utilized Twitter to share their thoughts, feelings, and interpretations of the source material through a wide variety of media, including but not limited to written text, photos, and videos. This allowed fans to establish a sense of self via social media.
Application and Research Vision
I am confident that deciding to focus my Master of Science in Clinical Psychology studies on practical research is the best option for me. The study of adolescence and the development of identity through media is fascinating. Still, studying the brain and neuroscience, my area of concentration in the Bachelor of Science program in Psychology that I am pursuing at Penn State, is of greater interest to me. My goal is to acquire the knowledge and abilities necessary to pursue a career in research and eventually work on studies concerning adolescents who struggle with mental health issues.
Conclusion
This paper has addressed how adolescents form identities when participating in fandom. Moreover, it has deliberated on how participation in fandoms participates in the formation of identity for adolescents. In this paper, I developed three themes that come about as a massive of the vast exploration of literary materials on the fandoms in adolescents’ identity formation. Some topics covered include how personalities are formed, the effects of teen fandom, and the role fans play in shaping adolescent identities. The research showed that young people were drawn to online fandoms and were given a platform to create an identity they could not express in their actual demonstration of this served as proof. Different individuals had various interpretations of what it meant to “contribute” to one’s SGM identity and how doing so affected one’s identity and growth. On the other hand, a resounding majority of participants claimed that participating in online fandoms helped them develop personally. Additionally, involvement in online fandoms enables teenagers to form incredible friendships with trustworthy people and to have stimulating conversations with those people. Young people who are a part of a fan base have the freedom to express themselves, connect with people they would never meet in real life, and forge identities with those people.
References
Abd-Rahim, A. (2019). Online fandom: social identity and social hierarchy of Hallyu fans. Journal for Undergraduate Ethnography, 9(1), 65-81. https://doi.org/10.15273/jue.v9i1.8885
Brandes, C. M., Kushner, S. C., Herzhoff, K., & Tackett, J. L. (2021). Facet-level personality development in the transition to adolescence: Maturity, disruption, and gender differences. Journal of personality and social psychology, 121(5), 1095. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000367
Cheong, K. (2020). Online fandoms provide a space for young people to build an identity they cannot express in real life. Debating Communities and Networks XI. https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2020Curtin/2020/05/11/teens-in-social-networking-spaces-and-what-community-means/
McInroy, L. B., & Craig, S. L. (2020). “it is like a haven fantasy world”: Online fandom communities and the identity development activities of sexual and gender minority youth. Psychology of Popular Media, 9(2), 236-246. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000234
Smutradontri, P., & Gadavanij, S. (2020). Fandom and identity construction: an analysis of Thai fans’ engagement with Twitter. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 7(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00653-1
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