Beyhive. Swifties. Barbs. Army. Lambs.
These names are associated with celebrity fandoms. The beyhive belongs to Beyonce. Swifties belong to Taylor Swift. Barbs belong to Nicki Minaj. Army belong to BTS, and Lambs belong to Mariah Carey.
Members of these groups are also known as “stans,” or “ultrafans” who will go to any level to demonstrate their devotion to the celebrity of their choice. But such culture can lead to everything from “addictive tendencies” to “stalking behavior,” according to study – and experts suggest such instability should be reevaluated.
“It’s vital not to hold celebrities to unattainable standards because they are imperfect individuals with inherent flaws and shortcomings, just like the rest of us,” says Shana Redmond, a Columbia University professor of English and comparative literature. “What we see on social media is a small slice of who they are – we can’t substitute that glamour for the whole.”
Most recently, Selena Gomez’s fans and Hailey Bieber’s fans have been at each others throats creating a beef between the two stars until it got too far and Hailey started receiving death threats and reached out to Selena.
Stans stop at nothing to ‘protect’ their favourite celebrity. Dare you say one negative word about Beyonce and the beyhive will find you, your whole family and drag you all to filth.
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Research by Dr. Randy A. Sansone Dr. Lori A. Sansone discovered that “celebrity worshippers” may “harbor concerns about body image (particularly young adolescents), be more prone to cosmetic surgery,” and may exhibit “narcissistic features, dissociation, addictive tendencies, stalking behavior, and compulsive buying.” According to studies, those who have a high level of celebrity worship are more likely to struggle with their mental health.
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