From K-pop idols to Twitch streamers, from Marvel superheroes to political personalities—stan culture is a large part of internet fandom in 2025. What originally was a term of endearment originating from Eminem’s 2000 song, “Stan,” has grown to be a worldwide phenomenon. But, does this level of support help form community or spread toxic behavior?

Let us unpack stan culture in 2025 and talk about it both ways.

What Is Stan Culture?

Stan culture is an online behavior where fans express extreme fandom to a celebrity, group, or public figure. The social media spheres in which these communities thrive are on sites like social media platforms such as X (Twitter) TikTok, Instagram and Discord.

What’s the good side of Stan Culture?

Digital Belonging

As they say, we are living in a digital age and stan communities provide people with identity and a sense of belonging. Whether you’re a BTS ARMY member or a Swiftie, someone is always with you around the world to cheer you on, laugh with you, or cry with you.

A 2024 survey conducted by Pew Research found that 42% of Gen Z respondents agreed or strongly agreed: “being a part of online fandoms makes me feel less alone.”

Creative Outputs

Stans create a seemingly endless supply of creative content: fan art, edits, memes, fanfiction, documentaries, etc. Fandom-based content has led to the growth of whole platforms like TikTok and Wattpad/Archive of Our Own.

Activism and Social Impact

Stan communities have been involved in charitable initiatives. They have demonstrated their ability to create real-world change by following through on fundraising for disaster relief, organizing voter registration drives, and donating support to a variety of activist causes.

In 2024, K-pop stans trended hashtags pointing to the importance of supporting youth voter registration and turnout in several national elections, including the United States and South Korea.

What’s the bad side of Stan Culture?

Harassment and Cancel Culture

Entertainment stans can rapidly escalate to mob support for celebrities. When someone critiques a celebrity, or near-anything about the celebrity, it simply can ‘turn or escalate’ to abuse and possible “cancellation”.

The values, rules and definitions from various fandoms run so deep that a 2025 study done by the Online Safety Institute found that 36% of influencers reported they received targeted harassment from fandom groups.

Parasocial Relationships

To better understand the negative social impact by stans for loser celebrities is that many stans become parasocial (one-sided emotional connections) with many celebrities. This can lead to unrealistic expectations of the celebrity, entitlement that comes with the ‘one-sided’ relationship, harassment, and sometimes stalking behaviors.

Mental health professionals have seen increases in anxiety and depression amongst those young people who have been consuming obsessive fandom behaviour together, like practically living in their homes with the celebrities, and yet they are still willing to face online hostility, harassment, and ability to micromanage ‘fan accounts’ as their lives or self-worth diminish.

Identity Crisis

In the most extreme cases, the fan may be left thinking they are ethically entitled to or responsible for, solely purely following those “flaws”, essentially all-encompassing notions of self-worth begin to completely develop, and if the idol fails that person’s identity is compromised.

In a 2024 mental wellness study, 28% of heavy stan community members said they felt “emotionally unstable” as a result of something happening to their favorite celebrity in the public eye.

What are social media algorithms doing?

Social media platforms like X, TikTok, and YouTube prioritize engagement. Engagement can come from sensational, emotional content. This means the posts you see will usually be the worst of the worst. It leads to echo chambers, fanbase rivalries, and nasty pile-ons.

In a study in early 2025, MIT researchers reported that emotional stan content received 70% more engagement than their neutral or informative post content.

Is it Healthy community or toxic obsession?

It can be healthy – if:

• Even if there are breaches between the lines of reality and fandom, they are respected
• Criticism is invited in the spirit of growth
• Creators are supported – not worshipped

It turns toxic when:

• Fans can’t take any measure of criticism when discussing their idols
• Fans resort to personal attacks instead of reasonable comments
• Fandom (and stanning) is the only thing a person identifies as

How to keep Fandom or stan culture Healthy in 2025?

For people involved in a fandom as well as for those on the sidelines watch, here are things to keep it healthy:

• Surround yourself with healthy boundaries of time and emotion spent online
• Build your identity; while being a stan is a part of you, it isn’t the only you
• Report abuse, and take social accountability together
• Support accountability instead of blind loyalty

Conclusion

Stan culture in 2025 showcases the positive and negative aspects of a digital community. It has the ability to provide a sense of home, encourage creativity, and ignite organized, collective efforts. But obsession, harassment, and dependence on and for emotional comfort can make it toxic very quickly.

As fans, content creators, and everyone else in between – we are responsible for creating spaces that include celebration of admiration while still respecting boundaries for one’s mental/emotional wellbeing.

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