I still remember the eye rolls I got when I told people I was flying across the country to see my favorite band play three shows in a row. "Isn't that a bit much?" they asked, their tone suggesting I should be embarrassed. "Don't you think you're too old for this?" The implication was clear: intense enthusiasm about anything, especially entertainment, is childish, excessive, and maybe a little unhinged.
But here's what the people rolling their eyes don't understand: being deeply passionate about something, whether it's a musician, a sports team, a TV show, or any other cultural phenomenon, isn't just harmless fun. It's genuinely good for your mental health. The science backs this up, and it's time we stopped treating superfans like they have a problem and started recognizing that having something you care intensely about might be one of the healthiest things you can do.
The Dopamine of Anticipation
Let's start with brain chemistry. When you're excited about an upcoming concert, game, or season premiere, your brain releases dopamine not just during the event, but in anticipation of it. This is called anticipatory pleasure, and it's one of the key components of happiness.
Research has shown that the anticipation of a positive event can provide as much or more pleasure than the event itself. When you count down the days until your favorite artist announces tour dates, when you refresh the ticket page hoping for a presale code, when you plan what you'll wear to the show, your brain is bathing in feel-good chemicals. The event itself is almost a bonus; much of the joy comes from looking forward to it.
This is why having things to anticipate is so important for mental health. People who have upcoming events to look forward to report higher levels of well-being than those who don't. Being a fan gives you a constant stream of things to anticipate: new albums, tour announcements, interviews, appearances, collaborations. Your calendar is never empty of things to be excited about.
The Power of Community
One of the most consistent findings in psychology is that social connection is essential for mental health. Loneliness is a risk factor for depression, anxiety, and even physical health problems. And here's where fandom really shines: being a fan automatically connects you to a community of like-minded people.
Fan communities provide what psychologists call parasocial bonding, but they also provide something even more valuable: real social connection. When you go to a concert, you're surrounded by thousands of people who share your passion. When you engage in online fan spaces, you find people who understand your enthusiasm without judging it. These connections can become genuine friendships that extend far beyond the shared interest that sparked them.
Research by psychologist Dr. Gayle Stever, who has studied fandom for decades, has found that fan communities often function as healthy support systems. Fans look out for each other, celebrate each other's joys, and provide comfort during difficulties. The shared passion creates a bond that makes it easier to open up and support one another.
Identity and Self-Expression
Being a fan of something becomes part of who you are. You might wear band t-shirts, decorate your space with memorabilia, or incorporate references into your everyday language. This isn't shallow consumerism; it's identity expression, and it matters for psychological well-being.
Having a clear sense of identity, knowing who you are and what you value, is associated with better mental health outcomes. Fandom provides a framework for identity construction, especially for young people who are still figuring out who they are. But it's valuable at any age. Saying "I'm a Swiftie" or "I'm a die-hard Cubs fan" or "I've seen every Marvel movie opening weekend" places you in a cultural landscape and signals something about your values, your aesthetic preferences, and what brings you joy.
This identification can also provide resilience. When other aspects of life are challenging, your fan identity remains a stable source of self-concept. You might be going through a hard time at work, but you're still the person who knows every lyric to every song on that album. That consistency can be grounding.
The Joy of Expertise
Superfans don't just casually enjoy their object of passion; they become experts. They know the deep cuts, the behind-the-scenes stories, the historical context, the subtle references. This accumulation of knowledge is itself a source of satisfaction.
The psychological concept of "flow" describes a state of complete absorption in an activity that is both challenging and rewarding. Becoming an expert on something, diving deep into the lore, analyzing the work, connecting with others who share your depth of knowledge, can produce flow states that are associated with happiness and life satisfaction.
There's also evidence that having areas of expertise boosts self-esteem. Being the person your friends turn to when they want to understand something, being able to contribute meaningfully to discussions in fan spaces, being recognized for your knowledge, all of these reinforce a positive self-image.
Emotional Regulation Through Music and Story
For fans of music, film, TV, and other narrative media, fandom provides powerful tools for emotional regulation. Research consistently shows that music can alter mood, with different songs useful for different emotional needs. Having a deep catalog of music you love means having a toolkit for managing your emotions.
Feeling sad? There's a song that lets you sit with that sadness, process it, feel less alone in it. Need motivation? There's an anthem that gets you pumped up. Want to reminisce? There's a track that takes you back to a specific time and place. This kind of intentional music use for mood management is associated with better emotional health.
Similarly, engaging with stories through TV, film, or books allows for emotional experiences in a safe container. You can feel intense grief, fear, joy, and triumph through characters without real-world consequences. This emotional exercise strengthens your capacity to handle emotions in your actual life.
Healthy Obsession vs. Unhealthy Obsession
Of course, any behavior can become unhealthy when taken to extremes. It's worth distinguishing between healthy fandom and problematic obsession. Here's the difference:
Healthy fandom enhances your life. It adds joy, connection, and meaning without significantly detracting from other important areas. You might spend a lot of money on concert tickets, but you're not going into debt. You might spend hours discussing your favorite show online, but you're still maintaining real-world relationships. Your enthusiasm brings more than it takes.
Problematic obsession, on the other hand, interferes with functioning. It might involve unhealthy parasocial relationships where you believe you have a genuine connection with a celebrity. It might lead to neglecting responsibilities, damaging relationships, or experiencing distress when you can't engage with the object of obsession. It feels compulsive rather than joyful.
For the vast majority of fans, even intense ones, fandom falls clearly in the healthy category. The concern that passionate enthusiasm is somehow pathological usually says more about the critic's discomfort with visible joy than about any actual problem with the fan.
The Cultural Dismissal of Joy
There's a cultural tendency, especially in Anglo-American societies, to be suspicious of visible enthusiasm. Being "too into" something is seen as unsophisticated. The ideal affect is ironic detachment, a studied coolness that suggests you're above getting genuinely excited about anything.
This is, frankly, a miserable way to live. And it's worth noting that this attitude is culturally specific, not universal. In many cultures, passionate enthusiasm is celebrated rather than mocked. The problem isn't with the fans; it's with a cultural norm that pathologizes joy.
If you've ever felt embarrassed about how much you love something, consider this: the ability to feel intense positive emotion is a gift. Not everyone has it. Some people, particularly those struggling with depression or anhedonia, would give anything to feel the excitement you feel when your favorite artist drops a new single. Don't let anyone make you ashamed of your capacity for enthusiasm.
Permission to Be a Fan
So here's your permission slip, if you need one: it's okay to care intensely about things that bring you joy. It's okay to fly across the country for a concert. It's okay to know every stat about your team going back decades. It's okay to have strong opinions about fictional characters and cry when they face hardships.
These passions aren't distracting you from what really matters; they are part of what really matters. Connection, joy, identity, community, emotional expression, these are not frivolous concerns. They're central to human flourishing.
The research is clear: having strong interests and passions is associated with better mental health. Fan communities provide genuine social support. Anticipating positive events boosts well-being. Engaging deeply with art and culture enriches emotional life.
So the next time someone raises an eyebrow at your enthusiasm, remember that science is on your side. Being a superfan isn't a problem to be solved or a phase to be outgrown. It's a source of genuine psychological benefit, and the world would be a lot healthier if more people had something they cared about this much.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have tickets to refresh.