Firstly a fandom is a group of people with a similar interest. You are all a 'fan' of something. Could be a sports team, TV programme, film series, actor, band, anything really. The fandom is the group of people who chat about whatever it is. I have many things that I'm a fan of, but the main fandoms I interact with and will be thinking about for this are: BBC Sherlock (and separately Benedict Cumberbatch), Doctor-Who, Marvel, Lord Of The Rings, and Harry Potter. Most of the interacting I do on Twitter though fandoms can be found on Facebook or any social media platform.
So that's the actual real description, but what does it mean to me personally? A community, a group of people who I wouldn't meet in 'normal life', and a wide range of ages. Some of these people have become really good friends that I hope I always stay in touch with. I have met a few of them 'in real life', and I want to meet more. You start talking about the 'fandom' (the thing you have in common), but you end up sharing a lot more (if that's what you want – you can be part of a fandom and just interact at that level and still make friends I believe). For someone who doesn't find making conversation easy, this has been a joy for me. I started just talking about the shows/films /stars and mainly retweeting (sharing), what was already there, but I found it was easy to interact because of the same interest, people are more interested in what you have to say, so I posted more and more original stuff, and sometimes more about my life. There are some negative people who pick fights or are rude, but you get that in any community; on the whole, my experience has been positive.
I guess as a lot of it is escapism, we are mainly talking about things that are different from 'real life', but that's good because we all need a chance to escape. Also, as you bond and form friendships, you always support each other through rough patches, I have seen this.
Another awesome thing about fandoms is the amount of creative stuff that other people in the fandom manage to produce. From artistic edits and stories to making actual things to sell. You wouldn't know how much was out there to enjoy if you weren't in a fandom. Also, just buying and enjoying merchandise. Everything from T-shirts to mugs to keyrings to prints of edits, etc. There is so much available now, some official or other mass produced stuff, some handmade by other fans, Yes, it's just something else to spend money on, and I try not to buy too much, but it feels personal because it's focused on something you're interested in, and it's a nice way to expand your enjoyment of your favourite thing. I love my fandom t-shirts, mugs, and other bits.
The other point I want to cover is why a TV show or a film become a major hobby. Aren't they just something to watch and then forget about? Well, I don't think so no. Talking about your favourite things can help you see things about them that you wouldn't notice on your own. You're talking over every point good/bad, which generally helps me to enjoy the good parts better. Where it comes to the really good ones, you can a lot of the characters and the stories. They can give you good life lessons, and quotes to guide you. See the edit of a Doctor-Who quote below. Or you see a situation similar to something you have been through, are going through, will go through in the future, and seeing how the character reacts in the show can help you deal with it in your life. Fandoms, meeting with people and talking about this side of your favourite programmes, just helps extend this side mostly, which is another reason they are such a good thing.
So if you have a show or film or something you enjoy, is it necessary to join the fandom? No, but it could be a good thing if you do.
