“It's like a safe haven fantasy world”: Online fandom communities and the identity development activities of sexual and gender minority youth

Written By INQYR

McInroy, L., & Craig, S. L. (2020). “It's like a safe haven fantasy world”: Online fandom communities and the identity development activities of sexual and gender minority youth. Psychology of Popular Media 9(2), 236–246. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000234

Highlights

Background

Internet-enabled information and communication technologies may play an increasingly crucial role in the identity development of sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY).

Study Description

  • We explored the potential influence of participation in media-driven online fandom communities on the identity development activities of a sample (n = 3665) of SGMY (aged 14–29) across the United States and Canada

  • This article draws data from an online survey and employs qualitative content analysis

  • We assessed online fandom participation and identity development activities as an individualized experience based upon the individual’s needs, preferences, and personal developmental trajectory

Key Findings

Results are organized into seven themes. Six themes were particularly emphasized by SGMY as contributions of online fandom to their identity development:

(1) Discovery and realization

(2) Exploration and experimentation

(3) Safety and anonymity

(4) Validation and normalization

(5) Authenticity and self-acceptance

(6) Sharing identity

A seventh theme consists of a negative case analysis of participants who felt that fandom:

(7) Did not contribute to their identity development but was still valuable

 
INQYR
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