Are you a regular fan or are you a cool fan?

In today’s social media landscape, an increasing number of passionate fans, now commonly referred to as ‘stans,’ are dominating various online platforms, creating dedicated accounts and content to support their beloved celebrities.

While the majority of fans simply want to show their support for the individuals they admire, some take their enthusiasm to an extreme level, forming a deep emotional connection with their favorite public figures.

A 2018 study on celebrity worship found that people with “high levels of celebrity worship were associated with problematic Internet use.” Unfortunately, the rise of social media has enabled people not only to interact with the celebs they adore but also to engage in harmful behaviors, such as online harassment.

”Celebrities play into that by posting mundane stuff about what they do day to day, not just about their art,” said author Michael Bond, told Refinery29 in July 2023. “It enables the fans to have that sense that they know something about their lives. It probably strengthens that relationship.”

A striking example is Taylor Swift, who boasts a staggering 274 million followers on Instagram. However, with such a large fan base, some fans may go as far as engaging in inappropriate behavior in the name of their support for Swift, blurring the lines between healthy admiration and potential harm, like shaming exes to fighting back against critics.

The term “stan” was first coined by rapper Enimen featuring singer Dido in the 2000 song of the same name. Over time, it has evolved into a label for fans who go to great lengths to support their favorite celebrities, both online and offline, often bordering on an obsession. However, the majority of fans do not fit this category because they’re just regular people who are involved in someone’s career, according to Empire State University of New York professor and fandom researcher Gayle Stever.

“I strenuously object to the term ‘stan,’ because stan is an abbreviation for stalker fan, which is an oxymoron,” said Stever, who says that these fans aren’t invading one’s personal space but simply out having a good time and supporting the public figure they care about.

Nonetheless, there needs to be limits on how far a fan will go to defend their favorite because fans are getting too deep into others personal lives, Ursinus College professor Alice Leppert said in an article on USA Today in February 2022.

There also needs to be change in the media’s attitudes towards fans of Taylor Swift and other celebrities because fandoms aren’t always accurately portrayed, according to Stever.

What’s a parasocial relationship and why do you need to know about it?

A parasocial relationship is a one-way emotional connection that you form with a celebrity or media personality. It’s like having a friend, but they don’t really know you. Parasocial relationships can be harmless, but they can also become obsessive or even toxic.

It’s important to be aware of parasocial relationships because they can affect your mental and emotional health. If you find yourself spending too much time thinking about a celebrity or comparing yourself to them, it might be a sign that your parasocial relationship is becoming unhealthy, according to a 2018 study on celebrity worship.

One recent example is: As the romance between Swift and NFL player Travis Kelce took over social media in the height of her “Eras Tour” movie, discussions about parasocial relationships began.

Not all types of parasocial relationships are bad, according to researchers John Maltby and David Giles. They fall into categories including entertainment-social, intense-social and borderline-pathological.

The majority of parasocial relationships and Swift fans fall into the entertainment-social category, where you find an individual interesting and talking about them has created new relationships in the community for you.

Swift makes her fans feel like close friends online and when meeting them in real life, psychiatrist and Washington University School of Medicine assistant professor Jessi Gold said in a Huffpost article earlier this summer.

“The closeness is not at the same level as the closeness she has with her friends…but she has always made an effort to respond to videos…or do special things for her fans,” which “validates her side of the relationship with them more than a typical fan/celebrity situation would,” Gold told Huffpost.

Which helps explain why Swifties are so excited about what she does. Social media users such as TaylorSwiftJets have her plane information (including how much fuel was used) to see if she is flying out to Kansas City or other projects. Thousands of fans showed up to dance at the “Eras Tour” movie.

As social media continues to grow and as more celebrities gain notoriety, fan culture is still being portrayed in the media as majority negative in Swift’s fandom and beyond.

How far is too far?

Some stans have been known to take their love to alarming extremes, as seen with Nicki Minaj’s Barbz doxxing culture commentator Kimberly Nicole Foster last fall, when she released a negative tweet about Minaj. This opened up the floodgates on Twitter and her personal texts for her to get harassed by the Barbz.

Foster told The Daily Beast in that same month that the messages first started off as an annoyance, but then became more threatening and dark, and then it started to be, ‘We’re gonna find you. I’m gonna kidnap you…’”

These toxic fan interactions can also occasionally be seen in Taylor Swift’s own fandom, opening the door for a bigger conversation about what it means to truly be a supporter.

In 2021, Jake Gyllenhaal was harassed online after Taylor released a ten-minute long version of the song “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” (rumored to be about their relationship) from the release of her album “Red (Taylor’s Version).”

Hate comments from Swifities took over Gyllenhaal’s Instagram page, forcing him to turn off his Instagram comments. Gylllenhaal’s girlfriend, model Jeanne Cadieu, her Instagram account private to stop the harassment from Swift’s fans on her page.

A 2014 study referenced other studies that show that these “individuals with high levels of celebrity worship are more likely to have poorer mental health as well as clinical symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social dysfunction.”

Fans, regardless of how intense their parasocial relationship is, want to be recognized at the end of the day because it can make them feel successful as a person, according to Luckett.

What needs to change

There must be a change in how the media portrays fandoms, according to Stever. The agenda setting theory states that the media doesn’t tell the public what to think, but what to think about.

“I think the media could sort of back off on this notion that fandom is toxic somehow.,” Stever said. “I’m not saying it can’t be, but I’m saying it’s a lot rarer than people having a good time, people raising money for charity, [and] people expressing appreciation to an artist.”

It will take more than just making a public service announcement to be nice, Syracuse University trustee professor Robert Thompson said. Nevertheless, positive fan experiences as seen in the video posted by Tik Tok user Emily are what can fight back against the idea that these fandoms are mostly toxic.

If you’re wondering if your fan status is in question, here are some tips for maintaining a healthy parasocial relationship online, according to the Cleveland Clinic:

• If you find yourself constantly checking for the latest news on your favorite celebrity, consider taking a social media break.
• Remember that celebrities are just people. They have flaws and make mistakes too. Their life is not always glitz and glamor.
• Don’t compare yourself to celebrities. They have unrealistic resources and privileges.
• Focus on the relationships around you. Spend time with friends and family who love you for who you are.