Internet 鈥榝an circles鈥 can be toxic
Print Edition
Every morning, Chen Xue checks social media for the latest news about her pop idol Luo Yizhou and tunes in to his songs and music videos, which she has already listened to countless times, to help elevate his chart and social media rankings.
The 23-year-old, based in northeast China鈥檚 Liaoning Province, has done this every morning since she developed a crush on Luo early this year when he was participating in a talent competition.
And Chen is not alone.
She has been actively involved in a 1,000-member-strong group chat on the social networking app QQ. The members, like Chen, are diehard fans of the star and are more than willing to spend big money to vote for him throughout the contest. They also post positive comments online, make multiple purchases of concert tickets and albums, and crowdfund for his billboards.
On Chinese social media, such fan groups are often referred to as fanquan, or 鈥渇an circles,鈥 highly organized groups of passionate, loyal fans who voluntarily use their time, money and expertise to make their idols, usually budding pop singers or actors, as popular and influential as possible.
The fan circle members are believed to be mostly Generation Z, born after 1995, and their number has grown significantly in recent years. In 2020, about 8 percent of China鈥檚 183 million young netizens engaged in reputation-boosting activities for their idols, according to a recent report from the China Internet Network Information Center.
鈥淭he rise of fan circles is understandable because they meet the fans鈥 needs for socializing and self-realization,鈥 said Zhang Sining, a scholar with the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.
Zhang noted that fan circles allow fans to have a say in the making of idols, because they are helping their idols earn fame and success through their own efforts.
鈥淎s fans, we want to do everything to help our idol realize his dreams, and that will make us happy,鈥 Chen said.
In reality, fans do help their idols blossom and thrive by lifting their rankings on social media and rating platforms. In China, high rankings usually help stars win competitions, land major roles in movies and TV shows, and secure better endorsement deals.
However, the zealous fan culture is a double-edged sword, as fan loyalty can become blind and toxic.
Incidents of celebrities being stalked by obsessive fans or being baited by other stars鈥 fandoms have not been rare. There have also been reports of underage fans stealing their parents鈥 money and credit cards for frenzied buying sprees of products endorsed by their idols.
In May, videos surfaced online showing fans of the widely popular talent show 鈥淵outh With You鈥 dumping out large quantities of milk products, which had QR codes printed inside their bottle caps allowing fans to vote for their favorite contestants. The clips drew strong public backlash, leading the Beijing city television authorities to suspend the show before its seasonal finale.
鈥淥n the surface, the show gave fans the power to decide the winner of the contest. But in essence, it was about the platform and its sponsors making money,鈥 said Wu Changchang, a communications professor from the East China Normal University.
鈥淲hen big platforms and money come into play, fan circles have become increasingly toxic with more illegal and immoral behavior. Regulations at the state level are necessary.鈥 Said Zhang.
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