Welcome to the fan club: The digital superfans changing entertainment
Jamjamj had no idea her YouTube channel would amass nearly 250,000 subscribers in just five months. The 17-year-old American, who wishes to remain anonymous, started her channel back in May 2018 out of a desire to create videos honoring her favorite K-pop boy band, BTS. Her first edited video was a tutorial for a mobile BTS game—and it hit 100,000 views in just four weeks.
“I’ve been editing videos for a long time. I started when I was like 10,” she said. But it wasn’t until recently that her mother allowed her to start actually publishing her videos online.
The teenage BTS superfan is part of a larger generation of digital fans who are playing an active role in shaping fandom and entertainment. While a pre-internet world had teenage fans taping fold-out magazine posters of boy band members on their walls, Jamjamj and her cohort actually create original content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Tumblr for each other to consume. Their content not only attracts new fans but also helps them better understand an idol, TV show, or storyline....