The prevailing wisdom often seems to be that being online is bad for us. The Internet has been blamed for the worldwide epidemic of loneliness and depression, for children’s struggles with social skills, and for exacerbating body image issues. The push to ban TikTok and regulate other forms of social media continues, with the goal of ensuring user well-being.

This is relevant for fans of celebrities and other influencers since most fan interaction occurs online. Fandom is a global phenomenon, with the Internet allowing people who have a passion in common to connect with each other no matter where they’re located. There are fan communities on virtually every online platform, from Facebook to Reddit to Tumblr to YouTube.

People come together online to have a virtual watch party, to debate the merits of a new film, or to decipher the meaning of the lyrics of Taylor Swift’s newest hit—and to find like-minded friends. Online communities are formed and organized in the same way as face-to-face communities and have been shown to have similar characteristics. Fans often make lasting friendships with people who share their enthusiasm, expanding their social network across geographic and cultural boundaries.

I have written in the past about how online communities can be good for us, but there are also risks. There does seem to be a benefit of face-to-face interaction, especially in reducing loneliness and enhancing well-being in young people. For fans who can afford it, connecting with other fans in person can be a rewarding and powerful experience, whether it’s going to Comic Con, a Beyonce concert, or just a meet-up of a few people at a local coffee shop.

For many fans, however, in-person interactions with fellow fans are not feasible either economically, geographically, or physically. That leaves online interaction, but is spending more time online risking well-being?

According to the U.S. Surgeon General and data from the Pew Research Center, some studies have found a link between social media use and........

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