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hello idk who will spend their time reading this but I needed to put my thoughts about stan stuff somewhere or else I'd explode so here they are
as someone who has been in internet fandoms and culture for a while, each fandom will operate differently, so it's levels of whatever you label as toxic will be different. there's such a big spectrum of fandom culture out there.
there are even differences of fan behavior depending on what social media platform you decide to use. labeling all of it as "bad" is a big generalization.
that being said, there are most definitely toxic parts of communities out there. I have seen them, and they really suck (sexualization of ccs, doxxing, general harassment of ccs and others, overstepping ccs boundaries, etc).
there are definitely negative effects to idolization of people, and the lasting effects of that are incredibly poor. because people are people, they will inevitably fuck up in some way.
that will leave the obsessive people in a moral dilemma between "I love this person" and "this person went against what I, and most good people, believe in." it's definitely not a good way to operate, and will hurt the obsessive people in the long run.
there's also the problem of where the line is between interest and obsession. things like fanart or fan songs are seen as normal for most people, but I'm sure that, to an outsider, this may not be the case. if you're not used to it, of course it's going to seem weird.
at the same time though, I've never seen a fandom that was not self aware of it's own issues. most people within fandoms actively go against toxic behavior and make it very clear that they are not part of that toxic aspect of the community.
most people create stan accounts because they're trying to find other people who share their interests. when people enjoy something, they will want to talk about it and express their emotions for it in any way they can (art, writing, music, etc).
it's a great way for people to connect with others and have fun. it's pretty much the only reason why I am on twitter. i don't have many other people who like what I like, so I come on here to engage with others about the things I enjoy.
also, generally speaking, I don't appreciate those who make blanket statements about communities they aren't a part of, but that's just me.
it also puts me off that these communities are demonized so harshly when most of these communities are made up of teenage girls, lgbtq+ people, neurodivergent people, and BIPOC, but that's a bigger topic for another day.
at the end of the day, most stan twitter accounts and twt groups are made up of teenagers who have found an outlet and a sense of community on social media. there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
of course there are going to be bad people within those communities, but it your own choice to give those toxic people attention. most just want to talk to others about what they love, and we should let them do so without so much unnecessarily harsh judgement.
in conclusion, go outside and touch grass or something
