From Loose Groups to Rigorous Organizations: The Transitional Logic of Chinese Fan Communities from the Perspective of Media Development

Abstract

Currently, Chinese fan organizations demonstrate strong internal cohesion and efficient executive force, far exceeding previous fan groups. This article explores the development of Chinese fan communities and finds that the Internet, a new kind of media that breaks through time and space limitations, has caused this change. Firstly, the development of the Internet has made timely interaction between fans possible, strengthening the internal cohesion of fan groups. Besides, the information cocoon brought by personalized recommendation algorithms further makes the fan communities change into homogeneous groups with similar value orientations and high group identification regarding their respective idols.Meanwhile, the flow economy based on the Internet has prompted fan groups to seek ways to achieve efficient data labor, leading to the division of labor within fan groups. As a result, these previously loose fan groups evolve into rigorous organizations with a hierarchical structure, functional division of labor, and institutional norms. The common emotional foundation—is the recognition of idols; the common goal—is creating internet flow for idols; the field of collective action is the internet and social media platforms; and the mechanism of unified action—the hierarchical and functional system makes the current Chinese fan organizations unprecedentedly strong.