How fandom became culture’s power center — and a blueprint for Gen Z’s economic influence

Today, fandom functions as a co-creative, identity-shaping system where fans play a meaningful role in the evolution of both the IP they love and the brands who seek to join in on the action. These fan communities, from StationeryTok to K-pop Discords and fan-fiction servers in AO3, now fulfill needs that institutions once did—a sense of belonging, a place to make meaning, and increasingly, opportunities to build skills and income. 

The irony is that fandom is joyful for young people...