Strategic communication studies

Strategic communication studies

Typology of Fandom Among Adolescent Instagram Users

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Fatemeh Mohamadi Zadeh 1
Abdolkarim Khayami 2
1 Phd, Communication Sciences, Faculty of Communication Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran (Corresponding Author).
2 Assistant professor, Department of Communication and Media, Faculty of Islamic studies and Culture and Communication, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/rcc.2025.2058980.1213
Abstract
The Instagram social network, as one of the most popular platforms, has played a significant role in creating and strengthening fan communities, providing a space for the production and reproduction of cultural texts and creating shared meanings among fans. The present study aims to identify the types and forms of fandom among Iranian teenage users, as reflected in the content they share on the Instagram social network. To achieve this, the personal pages of teenagers have been analyzed and examined using the thematic analysis method. According to the findings of this research, three comprehensive themes emerge: the narrative of field activism, the production and reproduction of marked content, and content resending and distribution on teenage Instagram pages. The phenomenon of fandom among teenage Instagram users spans a broad spectrum, from fandom of musical groups and sports teams to expressing affection for religious, cultural, literary, and artistic personalities. Fandom is not a static experience; rather, it is a combination of dynamic interactions, networks, and personal and collective choices. In Instagram, the world of teenage fans moves away from a homogenous and unified culture and includes different types and genres in a collaborative space; however, its most common form has merged through music consumption, which manifests in ways such as resending favorite music, making Dubsmash videos, dancing with favorite songs, and combining music with other media texts in fandom videos. Users have showcased their “selves” through Dubsmash by either mimicking popular singers’ songs or dancing with music as it plays. Teenagers, while performing Dubsmash, employ various gestures, expressions, makeup, and Instagram filters. They bring their body into aesthetic domains, striving to present their ideal version alongside the musical performance. Additionally, the use of selfies in fan videos and sharing pictures with beloved individuals also reflects the representation and performance phenomena on Instagram.  According to the comprehensive and organizing themes obtained, the level of audience engagement with the phenomenon of fandom can be identified and categorized into five levels. The highest level is identification, in which fandom plays a central role in the recognition of the "self" and its formation. The lowest level is media retransmission. At this level, adolescents consume and retransmit their favorite media content. Media reproduction, self-performance, and representation, as well as field activism, are also situated between these two levels, respectively.


Keywords
Fandom
Adolescence
Instagram social Network
Identity formation

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 01 May 2025
  • Revise Date 09 July 2025
  • Accept Date 12 July 2025