Kingdoms built by Media Connection

What builds a fandom

By Katlynn Rossignol

What does your average Swiftie, self-appointed Jedi and dedicated Seahawks fan have in common? They all have a passion for a specific person, fictional series or team that is referred to collectively as a fandom. Whether you participate in one or not, the cultural influence of fandoms is undeniable. 

Carat and Growth Market Reports found that 87% of consumers engage in activities related to their fandoms, pushing the global pop culture merchandise market size to reach $77.4 billion by 2033. 

These influential fandoms don’t appear spontaneously, and they aren’t simply a passive collection of people. From sports teams to movie franchises, there are powerful qualities across different media that encourage fandoms to form. Every type of media must appeal through story and character to create community traditions that thrive beyond the internet and flourish in personal connection. 

“Original story is paramount to growing a fan base,” said Professor Jeffrey Simon, a Broadcasting and Digital Media instructor whose Marvel office-decor rivals that of any Comic-Con. “If your audience doesn’t care about the characters and their perils or their conflicts, then there’s nothing to be a fan about. Whether it’s hero, villain or subcharacter from one movie that people latch onto, the reason you
latch onto things like that is a good story and character appeal.”  

The love of story and character goes beyond the realm of fiction. Underdogs rise from collegiate sports to national spotlights, and fans build community identity around the traditions of a team. The greatest marketer for a sports team’s publicity and fandom is winning games, but it’s not a prerequisite. Even with success across different teams, a population can hold some sports in higher esteem based on its tradition. 

“Ohio State is a football school,” said Jeff Gilbert, a professor of Journalism at Cedarville University who has worked in sports journalism since 1987. “Indiana, even though they just won that [2026] national title in football, is still basketball. That’s just what the school and the fan base have rallied around historically. If the [Indiana] football team struggles next year, people won’t be as upset as they are when the basketball team struggles — it’s the tradition of it.”

Depending on the fandom’s dedication and prevalence, the media can even engrain itself into a culture’s vocabulary, becoming a way of life for the most dedicated. Pop culture references are often used in our vernacular, with terms like “hobbits,” “live long and prosper” and “the force” being easily understood in conversations. 

Any piece of media must have story, character appeal and the foundation of traditions to collect fans. Beyond just a good piece of media to form around, fandoms need a method and platform for connection. 

“There’s a difference between being a fan and being part of a fandom,” said Dr. Andrew Harris, a professor of Communication at Cedarville University who has taught the Narrative and Cultural Literacy course since 2018. “A fandom is reliant on the use of media. Both to get the narrative of the celebrity or the franchise, but then also to reach out to one another and create the fandom. A fandom, in the modern sense, is reliant on mediation.” 

This mediation is the method in which fans connect with each other and how the story connects with its fans. Celebrities share their stories on reality TV and social media to maintain a mediated connection with fans. For fan-to-fan interactions, most fandoms are curated almost entirely online through social media platforms and the sharing of fan-creations.

Harris shared the difference in how he grew up watching the Star Wars movies with family, compared to the mass sharing of a modern fandom. 

“What has changed is that, if I wanted to now, I could easily find thousands upon thousands of people who have the same interest,” Harris said. “Without contemporary mediation, fandom is simply not possible.”

Unlike the past, when only small groups of family or friends could enjoy a piece of media together, the internet gives the power of constant connection. This led to incredible growth in fandom spaces occurring over the past 20 years. The global distribution of media and the internet allows fans to connect from anywhere. 

Interactions online about a piece of media can lead to new friendships, communities and impressive fan projects made purely for the love of the craft. One such example includes Swifties, who are known to create and trade friendship bracelets at events, bridging the online fandom with real world connections. Any contribution to a fandom is an expression of devotion that impacts someone’s life as they spend their time, money and attention on it. While there is no harm in enjoying its community, it’s important to keep life’s priorities in order. 

”Keep it in its place,” Harris said. “It might give you comfort, it might recall to your mind important moments of your life, and in those ways it’s valuable. But if it becomes an idol, smash it to pieces.” 

In our modern culture, fandoms are a creative and social outlet where people can gather around a common interest. Christians within them consider fandoms to be a great ministry opportunity and a place to be a light for Christ. God designed his kingdom to include these diverse interests and strengths, including music fans, sports fans and movie fans. 

“As in every area of our life, we need to weigh it back to our relationship with Christ,” Simon said. “And our ultimate purpose on earth is to praise and glorify him. Our fandoms should not be an idol for that, but a conduit to reach others in that way.”

Katlynn Rossignol is a senior Strategic Communications student and A&E editor for Cedars. She has spent her fair share of time in fandoms and loves messy crafts with friends, absurd amounts of the color pink and raving about   superhero movies.