*A WARM SHOUT OUT TO THOSE WHO HELPED as I know I didn't fit in all your stuff in cuz i was trying to get as many people as possible, AND THOSE THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT IN:TARDIS-Granger

The screaming crowds. The hours spent online, spreading pictures and information. All these people coming together. Let me introduce আপনি to a fandom.
Fandom is a term that sounds like what is is—it refers to all the combined অনুরাগী of something. It can be a sport, hobby, অথবা book. It can be very specific, down to one show; অথবা wide, encompassing all shows in a genre. The অনুরাগী are closely connected দ্বারা shared interest. Fandoms have been around for some time, but have recently become mainstream. Are আপনি ready to enter their world?
“People sometimes look at fandoms from the outside and wonder why [they] spend so much time on these people they don't know personally, but once আপনি step inside the world আপনি can start to understand it...fandoms are just one of the many ways that we gain and spread ideas, information and wisdom from all over the world,” ব্যক্ত Haley, a high school junior, in her প্রবন্ধ Fangirling Dissected.
Now fandoms can take their interest online. Many websites are built দ্বারা dedicated অনুরাগী of everything from Harry Potter to My Little Pony. অনুরাগী from all over can collect information, have conversations, post original artwork and stories, and write on forums. It’s easy for every member of the fandom around the world to connect, even if they never meet in real life.
There’s a difference between অনুরাগী and fandom. Only the most devoted অনুরাগী are included in the fandom. ইউটিউব user danisnotonfire explains the difference between a “casual” অনুরাগী and an “internet” অনুরাগী that would be in a fandom.
“Let me explain: firstly the person discovers and enjoys the thing. Then the person goes onto the internet and has fun learning আরো about it and people who feel the same way. The person then suddenly becomes aware of their [the object of interest] overwhelming perfection and it becomes the অনুরাগী main reason for being alive.”
Being overcome দ্বারা emotion when something in the fandom happens অথবা the person sees অথবা hears anything related to their fandom (They see a picture, hear the name, etc) is called “feels”.
“Now whenever anything happens, they are overcome দ্বারা so many emotions [feels] that they can't function and it’s basically destroyed their life. Basically fandoms are like drugs, আপনি just need that little bit to get আপনি hooked, and then a tiny bit আরো here and there, when BAM, suddenly your life is a train wreck.”
That’s where many disagreed. As ফ্যানপপ ব্যবহারকারী নাম x-Yumi-x pointed out, being a অনুরাগী may take up a lot of time, but that’s because it’s all stuff they প্রণয় doing; stuff they’d rather be doing than other things.
“To be honest, being in a fandom really enriched my life and প্রদত্ত me a sense of belonging,” ব্যক্ত ফ্যানপপ ব্যবহারকারী নাম Cerudays.
“Being in a fandom has brought a lot of good times into my life that I wouldn't have had otherwise. I honestly don’t know what I’d be doing if it weren’t for this,” added ফ্যানপপ ব্যবহারকারী নাম Panisepic.
Members of a fandom tend to be very interested in all of the details of their object of interest. They will absorb any accessible knowledge about it, and it often makes them very educated about it. For example, অনুরাগী of Doctor Who could তালিকা all the actors, talk about who made the best companion, অথবা argue avidly that David Tennant was the better doctor. Often, members connect দ্বারা organizing things like conventions, games, অথবা conferences. অনুরাগী fiction (fictional stories about the object of interest written দ্বারা fans) and art are also common among fandoms. These are just আরো signs as to how much অনুরাগী প্রণয় their hobbies.
One example is a story of how much one girl wanted to get a poster and see a new movie. “I had been waiting for the new চলচ্চিত্র to come out for half a year, and they were being shown…near my town. If আপনি attended in cosplay [dress up like a character from show, book, অথবা video game, especially ones from Japanese genre of জাপানি কমিকস মাঙ্গা and anime], আপনি could get a free poster— and I really, really wanted a poster! I went with a friend, but there were maybe 40 people also in costume there, and the theater wasn’t open yet! So all 40 something of us stood outside in cold weather wearing ridiculous costumes, watching as people stared when they drove by. It was hilarious!” exclaimed Cerudays, telling of a story she happily remembers. “I met a lot of cool people, got the poster I wanted, and enjoyed watching an জীবন্ত movie in a theater full of people who shared my interest. It was so cool!”
Many people can misunderstand these fans. Panisepic thinks the biggest challenge would definitely be other people’s view of fandoms, and having the reputation of being nerds.
“I know there’s a lot of stereotyping that goes on...I really think we would prove them wrong. We wear shirts with characters on them, আপনি wear a football jersey. We talk about last night’s episode, আপনি talk about last night’s game. We have পছন্দ characters, আপনি have পছন্দ players. আপনি think it’s weird we listen to something in another language we can’t understand, all your plays, scores, player names, and teams are just as must gibberish to me as জীবন্ত is to you.”
Sometimes the stereotyping of fandoms goes beyond just points of views. Sometimes people take it as far as bullying.
This was the case with ফ্যানপপ ব্যবহারকারী নাম Animegurl235.
“The only thing I basically have an interest in is anime… I was actually depressed for a period of time in middle school for being bullied so much for loving anime. I’m totally fine now though, and have made জীবন্ত loving friends!”
So, now that আপনি know about fandoms, are আপনি curious about the most জনপ্রিয় ones? Here’s a compiled list, not in any specific order. Doctor Who with অনুরাগী called Whovians, Sherlock Holmes with অনুরাগী called Sherlockians, Breaking Bad, জীবন্ত (Japanese animation) with অনুরাগী called Otakus, Hunger Games with অনুরাগী called Tributes, Game of Thrones, and Supernatural.
Now, when most people think of the beginning of fandoms, they think of Spock. But it came even before তারকা Trek. In 1900’s, it was used to describe sports fans. The earliest known record of fandom is actually when Arthur Conan Doyle began his stories of mystery novels about Sherlock Holmes when a passionate অনুরাগী base popped up. These early Sherlockians weren’t happy with just পাঠ করা the books; they wanted to live them. Since gaming systems were a while off, they settled for the পরবর্তি best thing: লেখা stories. Except they didn't use the term fanfiction, they called them “parodies” and “pastiches”. “Fanfiction” didn't get used until the mid 60’s around the publication of the earliest fanfiction journal, the তারকা Trek themed Spockanalia.
So a fandom is close community of people with shared interest. These people can laugh, cry, and make memories together.
“I প্রণয় knowing that there are people all across the world that shares your interests! Even if they live on the other side of the ocean, even if they don't speak your language...just knowing that thousands of people are লিঙ্ক in a community dedicated to one universal thing with inside jokes, art, and সঙ্গীত is pretty awesome. We’re like one big family!”explains Cerudays. It’s a little আরো understandable why they like being a part of that, isn’t it?