As social media has risen in popularity, it has increasingly become a place for people to gather and share their love for a common interest — no matter how niche. These online fandoms operate in unique and different ways, and they are fascinating to examine. One group in particular that provides a particularly interesting case study is Orbits, or fans of K-pop girl group LOONA.
LOONA is a 12-member girl group formed by BlockBerry Creative in 2016.
The members were individually revealed over the course of two years, with each member releasing a solo song and music video. The group…
Like most people my age, I am what’s known as a “digital native” — that is, I’ve grown up with digital technology. Navigating the digital world is second nature for my generation, because we’ve never known anything else. I was born in 2001, so I have watched technology evolve as I grew up. I have vague, distant memories of using a VCR, then transitioning to DVDs, and then to Blu-Rays, and now all of those are practically obsolete. I can remember a time when cell phones didn’t have cameras, and simply owning any smartphone was exciting. …
Peri Costic
Comm Student at Christopher Newport University.
