Community vs Fandom

I've been in the Social Media & Community Management space as a career for a little over three years now, and there's one very important thing I’ve learned: there's a massive difference between "community" and "fandom."

During my time with a Star Wars-based e-commerce site called Denuo Novo, I had the privilege of attending Star Wars Celebration. Leading up to the convention, I noticed a huge increase in negative and cynical content online from the Star Wars fanbase, especially around newer properties in the franchise. I started joking, “No one hates Star Wars more than Star Wars fans.” It got to the point where it was exhausting to like Star Wars.

Fast forward to Star Wars Celebration. These Star Wars “influencers” were nowhere to be seen. What I found instead was cosplay, face paint, props—and most importantly, fun. I witnessed many new friendships form, including my own, because we had broken away from the toxic side of the Star Wars “fandom” and were now immersed in the Star Wars community. It was eye-opening. The people online were using the franchise—and their cynicism—for clicks. The people at Star Wars Celebration were true fans. And more importantly, as I’ve said, they were a community.

When my eyes were opened to this, it drastically changed the way I feel about how “fans” behave online. This perspective has carried over to my current role at Rare Candy, where we operate deeply in the Pokémon space. It's almost the exact same scenario. We attended Card Party Year Two and it reinvigorated the e tire team’s approach to community! As we approach Card Party Year Three, I’m feeling refreshed and reminded that we’re going to have an incredible time. Attending events and breaking out of the online bubble is essential.

This ultimately leads to the true lesson in all of this: human connection is incredibly important—for us as a society, and as a species. There’s a bond that can only be formed through face-to-face interaction. I urge you to find a local event that aligns with your interests and get out there! Local farmers markets, art festivals, block parties, conventions—whatever it is—just get out there and connect.