SURVEY
The Fandom Experience
We used Google Forms to create a survey asking people about their experiences and opinions on fandoms. We sent the survey through Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp to reach enough fandom community members. Forty people answered and gave us insight into how people worldwide experience belonging to such broad fandoms and how these benefit their personal and professional lives.
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We have analysed the statistics and hope the results can be eye-opening and educating for you and maybe even change your perspective on this topic.
Results
01.
We received answers from all the following countries: Spain, United Kingdom, Finland, Germany, Serbia, Argentina, Sudan, Malaysia, United States and Uruguay.
02.
85% of the respondents are between the ages of 20 to 25 years old.
03.
95% of the respondents affirm that they currently belong to one or more fandoms.
04.
The most mentioned types of fandoms were TV shows/films (41.5%) and music (35.6%). Respondents also mentioned other fandoms like videogames (12.6%), books/graphic novels (5.9%), and celebrities (4.4%).
05.
72.5% of the respondents are actively engaged within their fandoms.
06.
The most common ways of participation for fans are managing fan accounts, writing fanfiction, editing fan videos, and drawing fan art. A small percentage also said that they do cosplay and streaming.
07.
90% of these fans said that they have made new friends through fandoms.
08.
77.5% of them also claim that belonging to these communities has helped them improve their social skills.
09.
67.6% admit that fandoms have influenced their career path in some way.
10.
Most of them said that, in spite of the bad parts of fandoms, they have mostly had a positive impact on their mental health.
For these respondents, the overall experience of fandoms has been great and worth it.
STATISTICS ANALYSIS
Country & Age
The majority of participants being from Spain demonstrates that our main network is from there, as it is our country of origin. However, the presence of people from other countries is a clear example of the utility of social media that helps reach more people.
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The results show a majority of people aged between 20 and 25 years old, which helps dismantle the common misconception that fandoms are formed by very young girls and old men. By seeing the age of fandom members, we can see that these are formed by a big percentage of students and people who have jobs.
Belonging to Fandoms and Types
95% of the respondents say that they currently belong to a fandom. This ensures that the results of this survey are reliable and come from people who are very familiar with fandoms.
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​The biggest percentage belongs to music fandoms and TV shows or films. The rest is divided between video games and books or graphic novels. Finally, a small percentage likes celebrities. This shows that fandoms are formed in all of the mainstream media tendencies. Besides, it is common for fans to be interested in different types of fandoms, showing that there is not a radicalised division of fandoms and they often engage in many of them.
Participation and How Fans Engage
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​ 72.5% of the people who participated in the survey said that they actively engage in fandom communities. This shows that when a person is surrounded by others who share their interest, they try to be an active member of the exchange and create content for the fandom to enjoy.
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There is a variety of ways in which people get involved within the fandom, some of the most common
ones include managing fan accounts, cosplaying, writing fanfiction, and drawing fan art or editing. By
observing these results, we realize that participating in fandoms enhances the creativity of the
members (drawing practice, learning to sew, studying literature, etc.).
Making Friends and Improving Social Skills
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90% have made friends through their fandoms, which shows how beneficial this can be, especially for people who are shy or live in isolated areas and can only communicate through the internet. When
making friends in fandoms, they find comfort in people who understand them and have things in common with them without having to leave the safety of their homes.
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77.5% said that being in fandoms has helped them improve social skills, proving that, even though most of the fandom interaction happens online, they learn to connect with other people because they want to talk to people who share their interests. Besides, in bigger cities, some conventions take place, and these allow fans to meet face-to-face their online friends or even make friends at the event itself.
Influence on Career Path, Impact on Mental Health and Overall Experience
67.6% admit that fandoms have influenced their career path. Some of them have chosen degrees related to things that they picked out because of fandoms. like Literature or Creative Writing. Some others have even started small businesses (mostly online and in events).
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Lots of people claim that the opportunities that provide them with these fandoms, like meeting new people, offering a safe space to talk, or helping to escape reality, have proven very beneficial for their mental health.
However, not everything is positive in fandoms. Many people see themselves getting involved in toxic situations created by the competitiveness between fans. Sometimes, groups within the fandom try to assert dominance through intimidation of the newer members, which can cause stress.
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The majority of the survey respondents affirm that their experience has been and continues to be positive. They advise against participating in the toxicity and recommend the experience because it gives them a sense of belonging that for many young people and even adults can be hard to find sometimes in their surroundings.
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