“It’s honestly tragic”: Fans are sharing the harsh truths about fandoms on the internet

The internet is discussing the harsh truths about fandoms thanks to a viral thread on social media. Some feelings are hurt.

X user @wwxwashere took to the social media site in February to ask people to share "harsh truths" about being in fandoms. It opened up an interesting discussion, and naturally, some discourse.

Many people flocked to the comments to share their opinions.

"Harsh fandom truths"

The universal truth is that "every fandom will have a toxic side, no matter what media it is,"@adversaryjunhan commented.

"They lure you in with a fake sense of belonging, only to ruin your interest in the thing you love if you don’t fit their tribalism and absolutes," @RinoTheBouncer added.

"Fandoms can unite people through shared passion, but when fans blur the line between fiction and reality, online spaces can amplify extremes, turning creativity and connection into toxicity and conflict instead of celebrating the stories that brought them together," @micia2201 shared.

Fans are also forgetting the community aspect. "More and more people see fandom as a content factory for them to quickly consume instead of a community of shared enjoyment and creativity," @Dani_Dabbles added.

"Unpopular opinion but… the pandemic killed fandoms. Too many people got invested too fast without knowing the unwritten rules and what fandom etiquette is. They waltz over everything we’ve known with their bland and opinionated morals and kill the diversity and fun," @gwenyn28 posted.

"Shipping creates the most toxic discourse in fandom spaces. It's fine to like a ship, but liking it to the point of hostility towards others is unacceptable. Always likely that shipping discourse can spiral out of control," @tier245 shared.

Is it about art or content? "90% of fandoms are tourists who seek social belonging rather than engaging with the thing they claim to be 'fans' of," @ShitpostRock wrote.

"Fandoms were primarily about bringing joy in the past. The switch from 'art' to 'content' meant to be consumed made it so that people will enter a fandom, bleed it dry, and then leave when the next thing to consume comes along. I think this explains why there's been an uptick in bullying, entitlement to fan creators' time and creations, and basically ignoring established fandom etiquette (like not being toxic, for one). It's honestly tragic," @adybpt explained.

"Fandom etiquette is slowly fading away and being replaced by rude, self-entitled fun police who think their hcs or ships are the only ones allowed to exist," @MaradaelESO wrote.

"Fandoms will harass actors on a TV show and then wonder why they don't come online to interact with them anymore," @apat10 posted.

Ultimately, this is a good reminder: "Bad Fandoms don't equal a bad series. Experience the product fairly before making a judgment. Otherwise, the opinion is invalid," @AustinAtki41488 explained.

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