Fans, Fandom & Fanaticism

The line between fandom and obsession

Definitions:

O “A fan of a particular person, team, fictional series, etc.

regarded collectively as a community or subculture”.

(Oxford Dictionaries, 2014)

O “The community that surrounds a TV show/movie/book

etc. Fan fiction writers, artists, poets, and cosplayers are

all members of that fandom. Fandoms often consist of

message boards, live journal communities, and people”.

(Urban Dictionaries, 2004)

Definitions:

O “The domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a

persistent idea, image, desire, etc”. (The Free

Dictionary)

O “(Psychiatry) A persistent Idea or impulse that

continually forces its way into consciousness, often

associated with anxiety and mental illness”. (Collins

Dictionary, 2003)

O “Someone or something that a person thinks about

constantly or frequently”. (Merriam Webster, 2014)

Fans

O Devoted & passionate

O Write Fan Fiction

O Attend Conventions

O Cosplay

O Learn the languages

O Make their own costumes

O So much more…

Star Trek Fans

One Direction & Justin Bieber Fans

Celebrity Worship Syndrome

“Celebrity worship syndrome has been

described as an obsessive-addictive

disorder where an individual becomes

overly involved and interested (i.e.,

completely obsessed) with the details of the

personal life of a celebrity”. (Griffiths, 2013)

Celebrity Worship Syndrome

“A "sliding scale" of celebrity worship -- one

in which the devoted fan becomes

increasingly hooked into the object of their

attention, until their feelings begin to

resemble addiction”. (WebMD)

Is being a fan psychologically

unhealthy?

OObsessions developing into:

O dangerous

Oall-consuming lifestyles

Obecoming detrimental to young

people’s physical, mental and

social health.

ReferencesO Griffiths, Mark. (2013). Celebrity worship syndrome. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-

excess/201307/celebrity-worship-syndrome

O Howell, Dyamond. (2004). When fandoms turn into unhealthy obsession. http://themycenaean.org/2014/04/when-fandoms-turn-into-unhealthy-obsessions

O "Obsession." Collins English Dictionary. 6th ed. 2003. Http://www.collinslanguage.com/. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.

O "Obsession." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsession>.

O Oxford Dictionaries. (2014). Fandom. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/fandom

O N.A. (2004). Urban Dictionary: Fandom. http://themycenaean.org/2014/04/when-fandoms-turn-into-unhealthy-obsessions/

O N.A. (2009). Obsession. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/obsession

O Warner Bros. (2013, December 18).. Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock. [Youtube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSHPVCBsnLw

O WebMD. (n.d.). Star Struck. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/new-age-celebrity-worship?page=2