Only liking people that are ‘like us’ though is where problems can arise, and it’s described as ‘in-group bias’.
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Fandom communities perhaps then provide more opportunities to avoid this. In fact, studies have found if you don’t feel as though you ‘belong’ somewhere, this can lead to an increased possibility of developing mental health problems. You know you might never be that similar to them, but by keeping up with what they’re doing, you can imagine what it might be like if that was you living that life.” Great minds. "Learning everything you can about a particular person can help give a focus, and might give you a lifestyle, skills, knowledge that you can aspire to… or they might enable you to ‘live vicariously’ through their own adventures. Dr Sims says that because of this, entering into a fandom can help us discover who we are: “Interests in celebrities or fictional characters often begins during teenage years, when we’re working hard on our own sense of identity, who we are, what we want out of life. One reason you might be drawn to a fan community is because as people, we prefer people we see as ‘like us’. On the other hand however, sharing an opinion that is contrary to what the rest of the community believes could lead to people being “ostracised or bullied, with all the negative implications of that on mental health.” On the one hand, fandoms can help “support and connect individuals”, often providing a space for long-lasting friendships and even romantic relationships to form. 'Support and connect'ĭr Sims says that this can have both positive and negative effects. They create huge communities of people, but because most are developed on the internet, these communities don’t have clear physical parameters and can span across the globe. This then leads to a particularly interesting phenomenon of modern-day fandoms. In other words, if you feel like there’s some sort of connection missing in your life, either romantically, or perhaps you feel as though people don’t understand you or your interests, identifying with people in alternative forums can help. Social psychologist at the University of Derby Dr Ruth Sims says that this might be true, but it goes further than just knowing lots of details about the character or person: “It’s quite complex, some of it is about filling a gap and filling a need if someone has something missing in their life then you can kind of latch on to.” For this reason then, a heightened level of obsession can develop with fictional characters and celebrities, because you know so much more about their lives than most people, and so there are many more avenues to be able to relate to them.
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One points to how most of our relationships rely on empathy with people - using our own experiences to relate to how you think other people are feeling. It’s hard to really pinpoint how fandoms evolve as quickly and uncontrollably as they they do, but there are some theories. Then came Beatlemania, which swept across not just the UK but the whole world. When Frank Sinatra was at the height of his fame, he was given the nickname ‘Swoonatra’, as a nod to the reams of adoring female fans who would swoon and faint at his concerts. For years lots of people have considered them to be excessive and, in some cases, even hysterical.