Interviewee: Lyanne Ploegsma
Interviewer: Cassie Nockolds
Introduction
What does it mean to be part of a music fandom? Well first of all, what is a fandom? I would define it as a family - a group of people who are devoted to the same artists and bands as you. Prominent examples include the One Direction “Directioners,” the BTS “Army,” or Taylor Swift “Swifties.” Thousands worldwide devote immense passion in being zealous supporters of these artists, and as we live now in a society surrounded by social media, many fans find themselves on platforms such as tiktok, sharing their experiences with others in the same fandom, and making a multitude of online friends along the way.
Lyanne Ploegsma from the Netherlands, is a nineteen year old Tik Tok famous Directioner who posts content about her love for Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik. She is also a diehard music fan - attending the concerts of various other artists such as 5SOS and Only the Poets. She posts short clips dancing and lip syncing to their songs, gaining a following of an impressive 34 thousand, and a like count of 6.1 million on tiktok. It is a daunting thing to put yourself out there for the scrutiny of the world - especially when there is so much negativity and criticism surrounding the so-called “obsessive fangirl behaviour,” It is a shared feeling most Directioners can relate to - being mocked and shamed either online or directly for liking a group of boys who haven’t made music together for 7 years. But the same could be just as easily said of any sports fan or film enthusiast- it is simply the sense of comfort and belonging one can find. This is definitely true of being a “Harrie” or a “Lover (Niall Horan’s fanbase),” so it’s truly inspiring that Lyanne manages to continue creating content whilst maintaining a “Treat People With Kindness” mindset.
Interview
When and how did your first TikTok go viral?
The first TikTok i posted actually did pretty good. It received around 2000 likes which i never expected. But the first TikTok that actually went viral was a POV (point of view) tiktok, which right now I am kind of embarrassed about not gonna lie haha. But it was a POV where I made One Direction the boys in the film “to all the boys i’ve loved before”. It was the first video that got 100K likes.
What is your favourite part of being a concert goer and boyband fangirl?
There are so many things I love about being a “fangirl”. But what I love the most is all the friends and new people I have met because of it. I actually have so many friends that I would never have met if I never became a one direction fan. It’s crazy to think how different my life would be if it never happened. I definitely would not have had as many friends as I have now.
Niall Horan, who was part of One Direction, follows you on tiktok- how did that happen and what is it like knowing that he follows you?
I love talking about this hahaha. Okay so, it started when I got a package at home that I did not order. My brother texted me a picture because I wasn’t home and he said “you got a package and it says candle”. I knew some fans had received a candle as promo for Niall’s new single “heaven”, so I immediately knew what was going on. So first I got a heaven candle, and then I posted a tiktok about it. and I think Niall just followed everyone who received a heaven candle, so a few days later i woke up to a Niall Horan follow. It is actually crazy to me because I look up to him so much and I've known and loved him for years. so it’s unreal to know that he actually knows about my existence . It still hasn’t fully hit me and I don't think it ever will. I keep telling everyone about this, I literally can’t shut up about it even though it has been months.
Do you ever receive hateful comments, and how do/would you deal with them?
Honestly, I barely receive hateful comments. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hateful comment towards me in my TikTok comments, at least I don't remember it. I do sometimes get negative comments targeted at the people I post about, Harry Styles a lot of the time. a lot of people seem to hate him but i never reply to negative comments, i think that’s best.
How do you find a good balance between being on social media and pursuing other things in your life?
I make TikTok videos because I genuinely love doing it. Sometimes I get scared that it will get boring and feel like I have to post. but it never does, and I've been doing it for 3 years without any long breaks. I don't usually spend too much time on the videos, so it’s easy to combine it with university and work.
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