Some online activities are fun. Perhaps too fun. Soon, one might find oneself spending hours upon hours in front of the computer screen, not participating in anything else and only interacting online. One example of an activity is fan fiction, both reading and writing them. Throughout the years, fan fiction has grown extremely popular, evidenced by the rapid exponential increase of users and stories on sites like FanFiction.net, as well as blogs and personal websites devoted completely to stories. Extra perks were added, such as instantaneous feedback, forums, fan art for the stories – basically creating a writing community online. All these aspects of fan fiction would lead to a predicament: Problematic Internet Use.
Problematic Internet Use describes the problematic behavior related to one spending too much time online. According to Caplan, this can result in negative academic, professional and social consequences. There is excessive use, which is the quantity of use considered by the participant to exceed the normal planned time online, and compulsive use, which is the inability to control one’s online activity with guilt about this inability. Fan fiction can easily lead users to PIU, because not only does it play on their interests in books, television and movies, but it is usually free and completely accessible and easy to use for the average Internet user. Thanks to the new additions, fan fiction websites have numerous ways for people to interact with each other, by reviewing and commenting, or in their forums. The readers may stay online constantly, waiting for new updates to read or searching for new stories, while the writers may also stay online to view the reviews on their stories, and wait for more.
Caplan’s model would apply to PIU with fan fiction. Psychosocial factors would apply, since the individual may be lonely and “lack” social competence, so the writers create vicarious scenarios and can “live through” their characters. Also, by sharing this online and receiving reader attention and feedback, this would make them feel more accepted and even valued in the community. The readers would get involved in fan fiction if they themselves are also lonely and interact rarely in person with others. Thus, they search for their interests in stories and can also live through the characters’ lives. In the forums, they can interact with each other more easily since they would prefer online interactions. Individuals would have anonymity behind their usernames, as well as greater control over their self-presentation based on the stories or reviews they submit. However, the result is negative since this excessive Internet use would worsen their psychosocial problems and views about their social incompetence.
The study by Davis, Flett and Besser (2002) would also apply to this situation. Of the outlined four dimensions, excessive use of fan fiction would be a result of loneliness, a need for social comfort, and a distraction or procrastination method. Lonely individuals would reach out through their stories, and the writers would be comforted by the amount of reviews they receive. Also, reading is a perfect distraction from working or stress, so it is easy to procrastinate by staying on fan fiction sites for hours.
Nonetheless, reading or writing fan fiction can be a very enjoyable activity, if done in moderation :)
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