We are undoubtedly familiar with fandom culture and its many fandom communities worldwide. “Fandom activities are usually for tweens and teens” and “Fandom activities are cringe culture” are comments that every fandom contributor would hear every time. Yes, some fandom activities are cringe-worthy. However, fandom activities aren’t just for tweens and teens, as many prominent fandom starters are adults as well. Fandom activities do not have any age limit, as it’s a collective community of anyone from anywhere around the world.
When you join a new fandom centered on your favorite book series, TV show, or movie, there are points of etiquette and community standards that must be understood and agreed to to allow everyone to enjoy the fandom.
Here are some important points of fandom etiquette fans must be mindful of:
Be Mindful Of What You Share
Being in a fandom of shows and movies is a blessing, as the number of memes and best/worst moments threads are goldmines. However, if you ever get a chance to watch a new show’s episode or a movie way before everyone else does, whatever you do – DO NOT post any spoilers right after, as no one likes their experience to be spoiled. Spoiler postings aside, if you are active on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, etc., do be mindful of what kind of content you are posting. NSFW art or hot takes posted on the internet STAY on the internet forever and could bite you in the ass when karma calls.
Do Not Fan-Shame
Another rule of fandom etiquette is never to fan-shame anyone. You should not one-up an 11-year-old expressing their love for the Philosopher’s Stone, for instance, because you are a 20-something who has read the whole Harry Potter novel five times. Trying to outdo other fans in terms of trivia knowledge simply serves to stifle the growth of the fanbase. Be friendly to newbies, and patiently await the day when you may debate Snape’s morals with them. This is applicable to ALL fandoms besides Harry Potter, especially the Marvel & DC fandoms (veteran fans often shame newcomers who haven’t read all the comics).
Spread Love Not Hate
Whenever you are engaging in fandom activity, always remember to spread love instead of hate to your favorite fanfic author or fanart artist. Also, if you and a fellow fan from the same fandom disagree over something, do not engage in a keyboard war with them, as it would not do any good to both of you mentally.
Do NOT Harass Anyone Who Doesn’t Ship What You Ship
The most stereotypical thing of fandom activity is shipping culture. If you aren’t familiar with shipping culture, it’s the activity of pairing up 2 characters (canonically or non-canonically) together for content – in fanfics or fanart. However, if there’s a show, movie or book that is in the limelight, there would be multiple ships for characters. You can have an OTP (One True Pairing), or you might have a NOTP, a pairing that makes you gag just thinking about it. It’s important to remember that it’s not up to you to police ships or decide who else is authorized to ship.
Just because you feel a certain ship is problematic or revolting doesn’t mean that others aren’t free to explore its potential in their fanworks. Also, DO NOT harass any of the creators if your ship is not canon in their works – you don’t have the right to tell the creator who should be with who.
Being An Older Fan Doesn’t Make You Superior
Been in a fandom longer than anyone? It doesn’t give you a free pass to assert dominance over the new fans that have just joined the fandom. Let them explore the fandom by themselves, as each experience is different. You are not a better fan or person just because you’re a senior member of a fandom.
Being in a fandom is first and foremost a way to interact with people who share the same interests as yours, so always be mindful of how you behave. If you are able to enjoy yourself, others will too.
