#icon army

HEALTHY REMINDERS FOR STANS

This is not meant to belittle anybody for liking a content creator or a band. Nor is it meant to insinuate you are a bad person, a stupid person, or anything of the like if you were unaware of these reminders. A lot of us are young and stan culture is a recent phenomenona that is only just being understod so these things are simply gentle reminders.

Anyways here are some healthy reminders to…

1. Social Media Break: Take a break from the Internet/Phone/Computer for at least an hour a day! At the very least take a break from social media! Listen to some music, read, exercise, dance, etc. just take a break from constant updates, discourse, and other things present on social media. If you find yourself mentally and emotionally drained or stressed out every time you use social media then that is a big sign you need to limit your social media intake.

2. Content Creators Are Human: Acknowledge that content creators are normal humans like you and I so they can have lives outside of their personas and these lives should be private and respected. The golden rule of dealing with content creators is “treat them like you would a stranger you met at the mall- if you wouldn’t ask a specific question or say a specific thing to a complete stranger at the mall don’t say or ask it to a content creator”!

3. Content Creators Are Allowed To Deviate From You: These content creators are human and as such have their own seperate opinions and feelings and thoughts. Do not expect their every opinion and feeling and thought to match up with yours- as long as they aren’t directly hurting anyone they can have “the wrong opinion” about something and you shouldn’t attack them for that or demand they change their mind. You can offer education- but don’t be rude or dogpile on a content creator just because you disagree on something.

4. People Don’t Have to Like Your Favs: People are allowed to not like a content creator, their actions, or their content. This does not mean they hate you or that they hate everything about the content creator and their content- but they can simply not have a taste for it. They can critique a content creators content or their behavior. Do not attack people for criticizing your favourite content creator or their content. If your fav content creator wants to address criticism or hate they can- but you don’t need to be a white knight for them. Let content creators handle any issues or disputes on their own.

5. Don’t Rely On Them For Your Wellbeing: Please do not put all of your mental health and emotional wellbeing onto a content creator or their work. I understand that you may adore Dream or your fav Kpop Idol but please do not solely rely on then for your serotonin, happiness, drive, motivation, and general wellbeing. That is not healthy. Not for you OR for them. If you feel like you rely too much on a content creator to feel happy or feel good please seek support in other avenues such as through friends, parents, therapy, or hobbies. I understand the pandemic is a tough time but please do not put all of your emotions into the hands of a content creator or a group of them.

Anyway those are my main points! Feel free to reblog this post, crosstag it to whatever fandoms or tags you find applicable, and add on to this list! I love fandoms and all but I want everyone to avoid toxic stan culture that is detrimental to their own health and to content creators as well.