Do kids know it's okay to be in "multiple fandoms?" Do they know its okay to just like more than one thing at a time?? This internet hyperfixation thing is turning me into a grandpa QUICK
Comments
Log in with your Bluesky account to leave a comment
there definitely seems to be this culture surrounding young ppl/kids in fandom who, like, make their identities completely revolve around that thing, which isn’t new. i even see it for specific ships in a fandom, where sometimes they think it’s impossible to have multiple ships w/ the same character
many of my friends go "i know ur not into (x) anymore but-" i am still into that thing i am just not hyperfixated on it anymore so the awnser is 50/50 some of us do some of us dont
smh we all know that things stop existing as soon as you start paying attention to something else. which is why Fortnite is dead unlike ~lethal company~ ~helldivers 2~ ~latest cod~
I wonder if part of it is online fandoms have become, like, fiefdoms, so it's this weird 'allegiance' kind of thing going on...like a national identity on much smaller scale, if that makes sense?
Then again, maybe sports teams is a better analogy...or maybe kids are just being goofy because kids.
It’s a dastardly evolution of older blogs using the term multifandom to describe a blog about multiple things rather than just one, which ended up unfortunately becoming kids not realizing they can like multiple things. It’s frustrating when you’re trying to talk to zoomers
Any time you see a bad take, just assume they are young and still learning. Hopefully here we won't see a single bad take amplified for engagement like we did on Twitter. People learn and adjust. kids are dumb but they grow. it's the circle of life.
fr, i think the cult-like behavior on certain fandoms is a byproduct of this, specially in pop music.
Also enjoying something and being away from its fandom, forums, etc. is unmatched
Dude I had a mini crisis after I saw Mulan in theaters and it overtook Anastasia as my favorite animated movie. That was before internet fandoms. I wouldn’t stand a chance in fan culture today at that age.
Agreed haha I did feel a little bad making non-furry art (I did South Park fan art) for the first time in forever recently since I wanted to try drawing one of the characters again after a long time of not doing so but I felt a little sorry for my solely furry followers seeing my non animal art 🤣
Though that bad feeling doesn’t last very long especially since I’m just happy doing what I love despite my audience, but I could see how it can get too people.
My guess is that Most kids today are growing up with live service games like fortnite. It teaches them to be loyal to a single game through selling FOMO.
So they take that mentality and apply it to everything else.
It's something that needs to be learned. Many kids will have no idea that you don't have to define yourself solely based on media or brands they are in contact with. Especially not when grown ass adults can't even tell that liking Playstation over Xbox or vice versa doesn't make them special.
Both my kids have autism and they have many fandoms-but only one at once. At the moment we’re all Demon Slayer but at any given point it’ll either all switch back to an old favourite or start a new one. Its hard to keep up.
if this has to do with ppl having ‘multi fandom’ in their bio/on their account, that’s so ppl don’t assume their account is dedicated to one thing and not follow them bc of it
it’s been a thing in fandom spaces for decades but it’s more popular lately bc reach is a lot more important now
I've never stuck to one fandom. I like branching out because it's fun to try new things, meet new people who share the same interest, and help get inspiration for my own work.
I have quite a few different interests that can hold my attention for weeks at a time and I’m usually pretty open about what I like. Like bold of you to assume I only have ONE thing that rots my brain besties, I have a whole list lol
fr!! the way some fans make other fans feel guilty for liking more than one k-pop group like huh 😀 it isn’t a battle of the groups they are there to bring you joy and music
I actually think is few sites with massive saturation of content creation is spreading everyone thin. I remember the days when websites where a thing I love a couple of blog subscribe to the rss feed and the internet felt like a place to be discover. Now 50% of traffic is YouTube, IG, Tiktok
20% is a streaming service like Netflix, 20% Gaming and around only 10% is websites. So it’s easy to see how we are all kind of hyper fixating in the same trends of this mayor 4 websites
Being a part of a fandom just sounds strange to me. Can’t we just like and appreciate things. There’s no rules! Sometimes when I cook I’ll listen to 2pac and classical music, and flip between the two
I'm a multi-fandom person. I'm willing to discuss multiple topics all at once and not afraid to admit when I'm behind in knowing some things. It's all a matter of what my mood is at the current time.
Dont worry my son is all over the place. We are currently doing one piece, backrooms, last of us, DnD, random story hour and muscle cars?
its all abit confusing, gotta go
Maybe its boomery but I think its really dumb to announce that you are only into one thing in your bio. Wearing fandoms as your identity seems like a path to greatly limiting your growth as a person.
I don't think it's mentally healthy at all. You naturally like tons of things to various degrees, creating an identity and requirement where you can't like a thing because you're a Potter fan and liking an anime series would be cheating on Potter.. I can't see how this would lead to good outcomes
Well when the world screams in your face because you want to like something, it's bound to burn that into your mind.
Like, I'm really surprised the suicide rate is not higher considering this fact, hell I keep thinking about it because that's all I hear is screaming 24/7 over dumb shit.
We should probably be trying to get them OUT of fandoms if we want to continue to be part of life on this planet. That hyperfixation makes it harder to manage real-world issues. Super sad, but true.
When I was in sixth grade in 1979, one of my teachers told me that I couldn't like both The Beatles and Kiss. She told me they were too different and I had to pick one.
She was hippie-adjacent and a consumate Beatles fan.
I have known so many (adult) people like this, you see it massively in the heavy metal community, they won't even entertain the idea of enjoying different genres. It's metal or nothin'
I use that as one example, but it happens in all different scenes :(
That’s not exactly what hyperfixation means. Hyperfixation is when you immensely focus one a activity or whatever and ignore everything else. It’s a phenomenon neurodivergent face for the most part, but allistics can also experience it.
The desire to find an identity is so powerful that people will stick to the same section of one hobby in order to prove their identity to themselves or others.
I only learned this week that someone thinks it's NOT okay and I still can't get why that would be a reasonable notion at all. I've fanboyed a hundred things and they've all been great 🙃
Do kids know it's okay to be in more than one religion?
Like the music, but not the potluck afterwards? Jump in the car when the band lets out, and head over to the church with the good food!
I used to be super hyper fixed with BFDI and believed that if I take my focus away from it for even one second then I'd lose all interest and that I should never branch out.
Glad I grew out of that phase, lol. Never been any happier.
I think this might seem like I’m shaming short term hyper fixation and I’m really not, I’m the king of it. What’s weird is how much I see kids apologizing for being in multiple fandoms and THAT is weird to me. Yall need to stop policing each others interests
it's interesting to see how the lack of kid-friendly spaces has coincided with this weirdly strict fandom culture. i wonder if kids apologize for multiple fixations bc they feel obligated to *perform* an interest/build a persona from it. instead of just being in community with other people
i’m thinking about how shared interests are a super easy way for ppl to bond, so they turn to online fandom spaces to find the easiest, quickest way to connect with others? then they worry their whole online “presence” revolves around that one fandom instead of just having fun
that's kinda how i felt trying to make friends online. it doesn't help that a lot of community spaces like discord servers, subreddits, etc. revolve around one fandom, so i get why ppl focus on one at a time to stay relevant/connected with their fandom friends
That is the best thing about the internet. There is so much info out there. You've got time, you can have multiple hobbies too! Get it all while you can. Specialization has ruined too many. Try new things. Do multiple things! Have fun. Like what you like.
Comments
In fact its totally okay to not be in any fandoms.
But I completely understand the hold some things can have on my brain for weeks at a time lol
Then again, maybe sports teams is a better analogy...or maybe kids are just being goofy because kids.
Also enjoying something and being away from its fandom, forums, etc. is unmatched
So they take that mentality and apply it to everything else.
Brown coats
X-philes
Whovians
It's always existed, can't just blame the kids for this one
it’s been a thing in fandom spaces for decades but it’s more popular lately bc reach is a lot more important now
Kids on the playground putting up little tiffs depending on which shows you'd watch during prime time.
(Cartoon Cartoons for life)
And I cannot keep up.
It's so much more freeing enjoying and talking about multiple things you enjoy! You're absolutely not obligated to only talk about a single thing
Why? I have no idea.
its all abit confusing, gotta go
Like, I'm really surprised the suicide rate is not higher considering this fact, hell I keep thinking about it because that's all I hear is screaming 24/7 over dumb shit.
like I get it, they got the deep end versus millenials sitting in a pool that slowly filled up over time but MAN it is rough to watch
She was hippie-adjacent and a consumate Beatles fan.
I use that as one example, but it happens in all different scenes :(
Like the music, but not the potluck afterwards? Jump in the car when the band lets out, and head over to the church with the good food!
The kids should like more things, so they can draw more crossovers n stuff.
Glad I grew out of that phase, lol. Never been any happier.
I get sad seeing that myself.