Social Network Analysis of Fan Activism in #BintangEmonBestBoy

Cendera Rizky Anugrah Bangun, Angga Ariestya

Abstract


Introduction: Fandom movement in socio-political issues has received attention recently. In Indonesia, this fan movement can be seen when Bintang Emon was reported to be involved in drugs, K-Popers immediately worked hand in hand to help by raising the hashtag #BintangEmonBestBoy to become trending topic on Twitter. Fans can mobilize many people through small groups on each fan base.

Methods: This research employs social network analysis to get an overview of the structure and pattern of relationships between actors in a network of K-Pop fandom accounts. By mapping out relationships between individual users, the study identifies key nodes and the flow of information within the community.

Findings: Response from K-pop fans in the hashtag #BintangEmonBestBoy can be interpreted as a fan activism. There is no tight connection or cohesiveness between fan activism and political participation realistically, rather it is only sporadic activism in the online realm that is inclined to be clicktivism.

Originality: The novelty of this research lies in the mobilization of K-pop fandoms, specifically on how these fan groups participate in online movements and influence social issues, with or without communities. By applying SNA to K-pop fandoms, one can better understand the underlying structure of fan participation and identify key actors who drive fan-based social movements within the network. The chamber-echo effect from the hashtag shows how digital communities leverage their collective power for advocacy, suggest a new type of democracy built on social media disrupting conventional type of popular culture and activism.

Keywords


Fandom, Social Networked Analysis, Bintang Emon, Fan Activism

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ardiyanti, H., Revianti Sunarwinadi, I., & Rusadi, U. (2022). Visualization on Twitter Activism Networks and Opinion Leaders: The Case of #FreeWestPapua. Jurnal The Messenger, 14(1), 36. https://doi.org/10.26623/themessenger.v14i1.4049

Baack, S. (2015). Datafication and empowerment: How the open data movement re-articulates notions of democracy, participation, and journalism. Big Data and Society, 2(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951715594634

Bangun, C. R., Kumaralalita, N., & Sukur, G. F. F. (2022). Studying Fandom Online: a Case Study of Twice and Stray Kids Fandom on Fan Fiction Practices of @Eskalokal and @Gabenertwice on Twitter. ASPIRATION Journal, 1(2), 200–219. https://doi.org/10.56353/aspiration.v1i2.18

Barisione, M., & Ceron, A. (2017). Social Media and European Politics. Social Media and European Politics, February. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59890-5

Barisione, M., Michailidou, A., & Airoldi, M. (2019). Understanding a digital movement of opinion: the case of #RefugeesWelcome. Information Communication and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1410204

Bennett, W. L., & Segerberg, A. (2012). The logic of connective action: Digital media and the personalization of contentious politics. In The Logic of Connective Action: Digital Media and the Personalization of Contentious Politics (Issue September). https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139198752

Booth, P. (2018). A companion to media fandom and fan studies. In A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119237211

Castells, M. (n.d.). networks of outrage and hope social movements in the internet age.

Castells, M. (2010). The Rise of the Network Society. Wiley-Blackwell.

Click, M. A., & Scott, S. (Eds.). (2018). The Routledge Companion to Media Fandom. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315637518-20

Disney, A. (2020). Social network analysis 101: centrality measures explained. Cambridge Intelligence.

Dynel, M., & Ross, A. S. (2022). Metarecipient parents’ #Bluey tweets as a distributed fandom affinity space. Poetics, 92, 101648. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.POETIC.2022.101648

Earl, J., & Kimport, K. (2009). Movement Societies and Digital Protest: Fan Activism and Other Nonpolitical Protest Online. Sociological Theory, 27(3), 220–243. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9558.2009.01346.x

Fiske, J. (1989). Understanding Popular Culture. Unwin Hyman.

George, J. J., & Leidner, D. E. (2019). From clicktivism to hacktivism: Understanding digital activism. Information and Organization, 29(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoandorg.2019.04.001

Gray, J., Sandvoss, C., & Harrington, C. L. (2007). Fandom: Identities and communities in a mediated world. In Fandom: Identities and Communities in a Mediated World. https://doi.org/10.1177/009430610803700621

Hardt, M. (2017). Multiple temporalities of the movements. TripleC, 15(2), 390–392. https://doi.org/10.31269/triplec.v15i2.888

Harrington, C. L., & Bielby, D. D. (2005). Introduction: New Directions in Fan Studies. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(7), 799–800. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764204273167

Huang, S. (2017). Social media and the new Korean Wave. Media, Culture and Society, 39(5), 773–777. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443717707344

Huang, V. G., & Xie, Z. (2021). Fan activism as discursive action: Poaching foreign television series for political satire in China. Discourse, Context & Media, 42, 100496. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.DCM.2021.100496

Jenkins, H. (1992). Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture (Studies in Culture and Communication). In Les cultes médiatiques. https://doi.org/10.4000/books.pur.24185

Jenkins, H., Ito, M., & Boyd, D. (2016). Participatory Culture in a Networked Era. In Information, Communication & Society. Polity Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118x.2017.1417462

Jin, S., Lee, S., & Lee, H. (2025). How do fandom types differ? A taxonomy of K-pop fandom with network embedding. Entertainment Computing, 52, 100767. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENTCOM.2024.100767

Kaun, A., & Uldam, J. (2018). Digital activism: After the hype. New Media and Society, 20(6), 2099–2106. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444817731924

Kavada, A. (2016). Social movements and political agency in the digital age: A communication approach. Media and Communication, 4(4), 8–12. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v4i4.691

Li, M., Turki, N., Izaguirre, C. R., DeMahy, C., Thibodeaux, B. L., & Gage, T. (2021). Twitter as a tool for social movement: An analysis of feminist activism on social media communities. Journal of Community Psychology, 49(3), 854–868. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22324

Li, Y., Bernard, J. G., & Luczak-Roesch, M. (2021). Beyond Clicktivism: What Makes Digitally Native Activism Effective? An Exploration of the Sleeping Giants Movement. Social Media and Society, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211035357

Liao, X., Koo, A. Z. X., & Rojas, H. (2022). Fandom nationalism in China: the effects of idol adoration and online fan community engagement. Chinese Journal of Communication, 15(4), 558–581. https://doi.org/10.1080/17544750.2022.2088587

Luna, J. P., Toro, S., & Valenzuela, S. (2022). Amplifying Counter-Public Spheres on Social Media: News Sharing of Alternative Versus Traditional Media After the 2019 Chilean Uprising. Social Media and Society, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221077308

Moreno Esparza, G. A. (2015). Communication Power. Comunicación y Sociedad, 15, 221–233. https://doi.org/10.32870/cys.v0i15.1148

Morozov, E. (2012). The Net Delusion the Dark Side of Internet Freedom. Public Affair.

Nam, K., Kim, H., Kang, S., & Kim, H. jin. (2024). The BTS ARMY on Twitter flocks together: How transnational fandom on social media build a viable system. Telematics and Informatics, 91, 102143. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TELE.2024.102143

O’Donohoe, S. (2010). Netnography: Doing ethnographic research online. In International Journal of Advertising (Vol. 29, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.2501/S026504871020118X

Pearson, R. (2010). Fandom in the digital era. Popular Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15405700903502346

Prell, C. (2012). Becoming familiar with social networks. Social Network Analysis: History, Theory & Methodology.

Sa’diyah, S. S. (2019). Budaya Penggemar Di Era Digital (Studi Etnografi Virtual Pada Penggemar Bts Di Twitter). In Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi : JKOM (Vol. 2, Issue 1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.33005/jkom.v2i1.34

Scardaville, M. C. (2005). Accidental activists: Fan activism in the soap opera community. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(7), 881–901. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764204273174

Shimauchi, S. (2024). Fans speak for whom? Imagined ‘official’, internalised hegemony and self-censorship. Media, Culture and Society, May. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437241249175

STANFILL, M. (2019). Exploiting Fandom. In Exploiting Fandom. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvd7w89q

Storey, J. (2012). Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. In Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315832968

Tjahyana, L. J. (2020). Gerakan Opini Digital #Truebeauty Pada Twitter Untuk Pemeran Film Adaptasi Komik Webtoon. SOURCE : Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 6(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.35308/source.v6i1.1759

Yılmaz, S. R. (2017). The role of social media activism in new social movements: Opportunities and limitations. International Journal of Social Inquiry, 10(1), 141–164.

Yong Jin, D. (2018). An Analysis of the Korean Wave as Transnational Popular Culture : North American Youth Engage Through Social Media as TV Becomes Obsolete. International Journal of Communication, 12, 404–422.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26623/themessenger.v16i1.6940

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2024 Jurnal The Messenger

View My Stats  [Jurnal The Messenger] is an  International Scientific Journal, Published by the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang (Central Java, Indonesia). It  is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.