A short presentation outlining how social media platforms facilitate community development. This is specifically referencing The Beatles and their fandom as a case study.
Hi Pietro,
This is such an interesting case study as, like you stated, the Beatles existed and broke up before the rise of the Internet, yet they have a huge fan presence on social media. And of course, they contributed heavily to fan dedication within fandoms. I thought your point on niche community creation that is separate from mainstream interest was insightful given that the Beatles no longer make headline news, but occupy so much space for online fans.
Hi Pietro,
I really enjoyed this presentation, well done! I think it was interesting to compare your case study of the Beatles and my case study of One Direction, who were both massive boybands in two completely different eras of time. It definitely highlighted the similarities and differences of fan interactions and how they have changed overtime. Your slides were also well structured and easy to follow.
1. You discussed the shift from a central public sphere to smaller online spaces, which I found really interesting. While the Beatles originally became famous through traditional media and their fandom now existing across multiple social media platforms. Do you think this change made the Beatles fandom feel more like a smaller, closer community compared to the massive scale of the Beatlemania in the 1960s?
2. Your discussion of the Beatlemania fandom being shaped through memes, edits, and shared references was very insightful. While this clearly increases a feeling of belonging, do you think this kind of participatory culture can also create pressure for fans to feel like they have to constantly engage with these inside jokes, which might make some fans feel pressure to connect and participate in fandom communities? What about new fans entering the fandom, do you think this would make them feel left out due to not knowing those specific inside jokes?
3. You shared some examples of how the Beatles fandom can engage in general conversations online. Do you mind expanding how the social media platforms you mentioned, such as Reddit and X, support these interactions and engage more fans? Do they have specific features that makes it easier for new and existing Beatles’ fans to easily enter the community and interact with each other?
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