The right loyalty points

There's a fine line between being a fan and being obsessed. Here's how to stop yourself from veering into crazy stan territory

- By Leena Lall | [e-mail]

Wearing a red football jersey every game day? Normal. Knowing the lyrics to all of Taylor Swift's songs and dancing to Love Story? Normal. But fighting strangers, friends and family because they believe DC makes better movies than Marvel, or that Chelsea saves goals better than Liverpool, or that Danish Sait is overrated? You may want to check yourself, Stan.

Fandoms are wonderful things. They help you find your tribe, make you believe in something larger than yourself. Besides, where else will you spend your expendable income, if not on overpriced merch? But there's a clear line between loyalty and toxic obsession; between the ARMY and a troll army. Heed these signs.

Everything seems personal, suddenly.

American marketing agency Buzz Radar used AI to scan 100 million posts on 2,47,000 Formula 1 fan accounts since 2016. Turns out, the fans have become much more negative over the decade.