Individualism, Groupthink, and Stans - What do we REALLY want?

Twitter is an interesting world. Within this cutthroat and callous world lies a multitude of colorful personalities. Hipsters, posers, philosophers, writers, thinkers, bloggers, and instigators populate the virtual landscape.

But, the craziest clan of all is without a doubt the crusader "stan". For those not familiar with the popular phrase, a "stan" is a hybrid of stalker and fan. This phrase was coined when Eminem released a song entitled "Stan" about an over zealous fan who committed suicide.

There are two types of stans. First, you have the ones that go hard for their favorite artists. Their handle name is related to the artist, they often mention and RT the artist, and their focus is on supporting the artist's career. These fans are A-OK in my book.

The second type of stan is what I like to call the crusader stan. They do everything that a Type 1 stan does, BUT they also feel the need to put up a valiant virtual fight against anyone whom they deem a "hater" of their fave. They search their fave's name and Twitter handle, and attack the mentions of people they don't know nor follow. It's almost as though the artist has paid these people to "defend their honor".

This is what I don't understand. In a world where we stress individualism and we promote the idea that it is okay to be unique and special, why do some of us get SO offended when someone has a different music or fashion palate?

As a blogger, I blog about artists and songs that I like. Some people disagree with my choices and I am perfectly okay with their opinion. For example, I love Jhené Aiko. But, I don't feel the need to seek out her detractors and verbally abuse them because they don't like her. 

Remember: Not liking or agreeing with a certain artists music, fashion choices, or life decisions does NOT mean a person is a "hater".

Are we really for individualism? Or are we actually enslaved by groupthink?

-T. Amour