A note about k-pop stans from an old fangirl: I have for decades now said that young people, particularly young women, are a powerful group. (a thread)

As someone who has been a fan girl for decades - being part of fandoms teaches you a lot and these skillsets are highly transferrable (and should be part of a resume to be completely honest)

You learn how to do in depth research, question sources, think critically of media. You learn how to organize, how to leverage communities in order to reach a goal. You learn how to make a visible creative impact

Speaking of creativity, you learn tangible skills too. Video editing, creative writing, coding, production, event planning - all this from being *really* into a thing.

And they are POWERFUL! Think of the genuine fear people have for even *mentioning* the beehive, the swifties, the barbz, the BTS folks. You know they are coordinated and stay READY.

These teens are underestimated but you see how their coordinated actions can create impact on a globally. What excites me is being able to leverage that power for social justice and good. They have been doing this for years online, we're just now noticing the real world results.

I'm glad to see them get their shine right now but I want for society to also respect, recognize, and encourage their skills.

I think of people like @dimplesofdoom who leverages her ability to connect with others and build community as one of the dopest librarians I know.

Folks like @daikou and @privateagntmars who have both leveraged their design skills into career opportunities with the very people they are fans of.

I think of E.L. James who is a millionaire for writing fanfiction. @LilNasX who has masterfully built his career based on his marketing skills he built as a barbz. (Forreal no one does the internet like him)

I think of me, who taught myself how to code because I thought @rosariodawson was dope and deserved a fansite. I'm now the Director of Programs at @itsCodeNation and honestly, a lot of my career is built of skills I learned as a fangirl

I share all this to say that we shouldn't dismiss young folks, particularly young girls in fandoms at all. Encourage them, let them explore and create. They're not just building the basis of their futures, they're gonna be the ones to save our world.