By /

Katherine Pedra

Fan Culture on Social Media: The Relationship Between Celebrity Personas and Fan Identification

Biography

My name is Katherine Pedra and I am excited to be approaching graduation from the Professional Communication program. Throughout my years at Toronto Metropolitan University, I have had the opportunity to develop skills in the field I am passionate about. I am also interested in social media and writing, and have taken a variety of Media and English courses while completing my degree to explore these passions. I have a love for creativity and I am hoping to continue to pursue my creative expression in the future.

Details of Project

This research explores the topic of fan culture on social media, with a specific focus on the relationship between celebrity personas and fan identification. Fan culture is on the rise, especially with the increasing popularity of fan bases on social media. Investigating the connections that fans make to celebrities, fan identities, and the mental processes behind being a fan, will continue to be of increasing importance for years to come. 

Content analysis was the method used to discover more about the topic of fan culture on social media. TikTok was the platform of study and the frequency of various aspects of the collected short-form videos were assessed. As a case study, Miley Cyrus was chosen as the celebrity of research, and her fanbase was assessed through gathering posts under the Miley Cyrus hashtag. 

The research aim was to discover whether there is a relationship between the portrayed celebrity personas on social media and the ways in which fans identify with a celebrity. This research will be highly relevant to the fields of communication and social media, since knowledge of fan culture can be used in marketing, content creation, advertising, and in many other avenues that require insight into leveraging attention.

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