“Fandom can provide a powerful social support network for the participating individual, and for some it is their only social support network. As such belonging to a fandom group can be a powerful coping mechanism as social support is critical to mental health and coping,” Dr. Syd Miller, host of On-Call with Dr. Syd, shares via email. “Fandom can also provide a source of validation for yourself, your values and your interests. These are all critical factors in developing a healthy self-esteem, which is also critical to good mental health. This may be particularly important in the teen years where individuation is occurring, when teens are developing a sense of self.”

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