Thread by @sweetbtstea

GROWING PAINS: GETTING TO THE ROOT OF FANDOM FEARS, UNDERSTANDING WHERE THESE FEARS ARE COMING FROM, & IF ANY ARE RATIONAL!

[A COMMISSIONED THREAD!]

SPECIAL THANKS:

Shout out to Patreon supporter @Riquashea for commissioning this one!

INTRODUCTION

I mentioned this before, but there are different kinds of fuel that's motivated ARMYs in the past.

One of those fuels was fear. Fear of failing BTS, losing BTS, or of having everything we achieved taken away from us or otherwise forgotten.

Almost just as often as you see ARMYs flexing on the bird app, you'll also see tweets blowing up about how we're not doing enough, not connected enough, or otherwise on the verge of collapse. Whether it's during a hiatus like now or just as a comeback is getting started-

someone is always there to remind us that we're just not hitting the marks.

Still, fear-based motivation just doesn't make sense anymore. I even think trying to function without fear as a motivator is just one of the many growing pains that ARMYs have experienced recently.

Some people are so used to fear being a dominant factor that they don't know what to do when things happen without it. Non-ARMYs have started promoting BTS. More casuals are listening to their music.

How do you react to things increasingly outside of your control as a fan?

When it comes to fandom fears, some aren't rational while others aren't outside the realm of possibility. In this thread, I'll be looking at which is which.

FANDOM FEAR #1 - ARMYs as naturally lazy/unmotivated and that ARMYs won't support BTS when it matters.

TBH, this particular fear never sat well with me because it brushed aside so much of what ARMYs showed ourselves to be capable of.

Heck, we trend things entirely by accident!

Also, we can now plainly see just how much BTS' global sales have ballooned over the past year. Would that be possible if only a few ARMYs were active? And only a few music markets?

ARMYs have repeatedly shown we need little provocation or motivation for stanning.

And that's just music-related action. ARMYs repeatedly do awesome stuff for charity. For instance, @OneInAnARMY has inspired people to raise thousands for planting trees.

classy.org/fundraiser/218…

It's taken a lot to transition ARMYs from a fandom that worked according to what was happening in one market (Korea) and begin to believe in what we could achieve across dozens of markets.

This was never going to be easy.

Instead of assuming the worst, I think it wouldn't hurt to begin to give ARMYs (ourselves) more credit. You don't have to beat yourself up about goals or have a mindset that "if we don't meet goals, we're nothing and the media will mock us!"

That mentality isn't healthy.

FANDOM FEAR #2 - That ARMYs Would Rather Be Petty And Feisty Than Stream/Support BTS

I actually think this comes down to your Twitter feed and who you're following. Many ARMYs have peaceful timelines. Quite a few ARMYs aren't even on the bird app to begin with. 🤷🏾‍♀️

It can be frustrating when it seems ARMYs are locked in and getting it done, but then a bunch of people get needlessly distracted by drama. However, there's no evidence that this has prevented ARMYs who were going to spend money on BTS from doing so.

People are going to spend their time on social media however they choose and tweet whatever they want. You cannot control them, even through excessive browbeating.

The only person you have absolute control over is yourself.

If you want to focus solely on BTS/ARMY and avoid anyone who'll bring negativity into your Twitter timeline, then you'll need to pay close attention to which accounts are bringing this type of content into your feed. Then, decide if these are accounts you should be following.

FANDOM FEAR #3 - That ARMYs' Lax Behavior Will Lead To Us Getting Blindsided By An Unforeseen Rival

If another group blows up thanks to a dedicated fandom, we have no control over that. This is a lesson other fandoms failed to learn when it came to BTS and ARMYs a few years ago. It's a lesson we should ourselves have learned by virtue of our own experiences.

This fandom gains nothing by looking over our shoulder in terror or deluding ourselves into thinking we have direct control over someone else's fame based on whether we speak or not.

If that group or person has an energized fan base behind them, that's separate from us.

We can't control what others do. We *can* control ourselves & how we spend our time and money.

As long as a sizeable amount of fans stay active (spending on albums, going to concerts, requesting music, streaming songs, etc.) the fandom will remain a stable foundation.

COMMON THREAD: FEAR OF LOSS OF CONTROL/DESIRE TO CONTROL OTHERS

What I often see is either an outright desire to control others or a fear of a particular kind of ARMY losing control over the fandom.

It might be that some ARMYs look at how unmotivated other fandoms are and fear becoming like that at some point, where all we have is talk and past achievements.

To be honest, I do consider this a rational fear based on what I've observed in other fandoms over the years. 😨

There's is the possibility of the most active of fans walking away from the fandom due to constant bullying, conflict, and toxicity. People are constantly fighting for "the mic" in this fandom, and not everyone's motives are in the best interest of the fandom.

But just because something is possible doesn't make it inevitable. I believe there are plenty of ARMYs willing to work together to achieve awesome things. As long as there are dedicated fandom gatekeepers, we can avoid the fates of certain other fandoms. 👍🏾👍🏾

Ultimately, I think not taking our fandom (each other) for granted can help us avoid such a negative, toxic outcome. We're not always going to agree or get along.

I think there's far more love than hate, and that's the crucial ingredient. 💜

CONCLUSION

As this fandom grows, you have to accept that not everyone is going to be on the same page. Heck, there are lots of ARMYs nowhere near Twitter. ARMYs you'll never meet, thinking thoughts you'll never get to influence.

If you're of a fearful mindset, I recommend checking old tweets. Go back and revisit us when we were imagining the things that are a reality.

It's okay to be nervous, but don't treat the worst-case scenario as the inevitable outcome. You'll wear yourself out.

The only thing you can control is yourself. Therefore, take steps to make your Twitter feed less stressful and your mentality a more positive one.

Look for practical solutions to problems and contribute suggestions when you can. 😊

/THREAD

Again, special thanks to @Riquashea for this thread topic!

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