Toxic Fandoms: Social Media and Why it’s Difficult To Be a Fan Today
Fan bases should leave a sense of community. Where people share their love of music for a band, group or artist & experiences of concerts and meet & greets. Not where people are turned away at the door for whatever reason. That's not a community. Take it from someone who knows! But what does it mean to be a fan these days? Especially, in the sphere of social media? As someone who once ran a fan group on Facebook, one thing I learned is: Responsible admins always cater not only to fans, but also to the bands, groups and artists they promote. Think of it as Public Relations: a page that promotes an upcoming project, music video and/or album. However, being a fan can be difficult in the age of social media. After private conversations over Twitter, I encountered I wasn’t alone in being blocked by an Instagram page claiming to promote a band from Finland. One, I was newly familiar with. A page I myself had ZERO interaction with, but became aware of only to find myself blocked f...