If you have ever felt passionate about something in media or pop culture, bought merchandise related to that passion or even been reminded of something while doing something completely unrelated, then you are a fangirl.
Now that you know you are a fangirl, it is time to understand what exactly a fangirl is. Being a fangirl is all about relationships, or rather, a reliance on parasocial relationships in order to form connections. It is almost impossible not to develop one with literally anything you relate to.
Why? Because we are all chronically online. When walking into class, you probably see at least one person not so discreetly looking at their phone below their desk. Of course, this does not only apply to school; you can see people glued to their screens literally anywhere.
Through technology, one can search to find connections from people who don’t know you in real life in place of connecting deeply with the people who know you exist. Even if you do have a real connection to a person you see daily who doesn’t have fame, you can form a fangirl connection anyway. Truly, it is admiration, inspiration and connection that form fangirlship.
Community comes together with fandom. People dressing up as fangirls and going to a concert often remind one of Comic Con gatherings; although there is nothing wrong with that or the people who enjoy those things, it may give others a negative connotation. In reality, if you think about it, concerts and sporting events are actually very similar—both involve a group of people who enjoy watching and supporting their favorite team/artist gathering in the same arena, building the community in the process. So, although you may start the love as someone searching for connection in the art, you may find it in your fellow fangirls.
Fangirls surround you. Some (like myself) make it more obvious by having related computer or phone backgrounds, bragging about their extensive merch collection and decorating their room with posters of their icon. Others, however, tend to make it less obvious; despite their chill, non-obsessive vibe, they may be more than just a casual fan. For these more secretive fans, references can be found suddenly hidden in day-to-day conversations and in English class essays. All of this to say, new equally obsessed fangirl friends may be closer than you think.
A staple of the fangirl[ie]—a subversion of the fangirl, particularly pertaining to teenage girls—is a Pinterest board devoted to admiration. In reality, Pinterest is not just for aesthetic photos, outfit planning and recipes for middle-aged women; it is a community builder and home of a fangirl.
Fangirling is a broad term for any type of fan. But next time you prepare to look down on a fangirl, remember, you are probably one too.
