Fandoms are more than fanboys and fangirls “geeking out” over a television show or a movie.

They’re interest based communities that surround a specific topic, like the popular BBC series Dr.Who or Marvel comic books. And as students become more connected through the internet, fandoms have flourished.

Sociology professor Jessica Crowe said that the notion of fandoms connects back to what a community is. Traditional communities are place based whereas fandoms are interest based and can be spread out all over the world with the help of technology, she said.

“As technology has increased, people move around a lot more, we have the internet, we have more of communities that are called communities of interests,” Crowe said.

Technological developments have allowed these communities of interest to flourish, as people in these groups aren’t necessarily in the same geographic region, she said.

“(Members) can live all around the world because we have access to the Internet that is instantaneous,” she said. “We don’t need to meet people at the local coffee shop to talk anymore. We can get online, join up a blog or a forum, and have conversations with people anywhere around the world as long as they have access to internet and talk about things that we have in common that are related around whatever they’re fans of.”

Scott Thorne, owner of Castle Perilous Games and Books in Carbondale, wrote his dissertation on the topic of fandoms. Thorne said fans from all over the world can use sites such as Tumblr and Twitter to connect with their subculture.

And while many fandoms are geared to television shows, Thorne said a fandom could form over any type of interest.

“It could be sports. It could be Yu-Gi-Oh. It could be Marvel Comics. It could be needlepoint or Star Wars,” Thorne said.

Walking around campus, one may see many students sporting their favorite fandom gear, like “Dr. Who” necklaces and “Game of Thrones” t-shirts. Though fandoms may slip under the radar, many students on campus are active in them and proud of their involvement.

Nicole Sanders, a senior from Rockford studying criminology, said she is a fan of Dr.Who, Supernatural, Sherlock, Ripper Street, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and The Lord of the Rings.

“Being part of a fandom is like having a whole bunch of friends who you don’t know other than the fact that they like that specific thing but you can have that one specific thing to talk to a lot of people about,” she said. “It’s like having a whole huge circle of friends and (being able to say), ‘hey guess what happened in this episode’ and ‘I need an explanation’,”

Sanders said a fandom can provide a safe zone for like-minded students.

“You get to geek out about stuff and no one judges you,” she said. “If someone’s in a related fandom, they don’t judge you for it.”

Krista Zobel, a freshman from Braidwood studying zoology, said she considers herself a part of many fandoms including those for shows like Dr.Who, Homestuck, Sherlock and Supernatural. She said she loves the family dynamic of fandoms and it’s nice to fit in.

“You have the dysfunctional parts of it,” Zobel said. “You got the sane parts of it. You have the very caring parts of it. It’s all there.”

Karl Stegeman, a sophomore from Edwardsville studying audio engineering, considers himself a part of the DC, Marvel, Firefly, and Star Trek fandoms. Fan gatherings are his favorite places to meet and socialize because of the comfortable atmosphere, he said.

“My favorite social gatherings are anime and comic conventions because I can go there and I know that I’ll feel comfortable because everybody is dressed up too,” he said. “It’s nice to actually go there and talk with people who are interested in the same things that you are. I’ve met a lot of friends that way.”

However, fandoms often blossom into something much bigger than just a gathering — some even develop their own lingo. When talking with a fandom member, one may hear the terms “shipping” and “Whovian”.

Sanders said shipping occurs when one combines two characters in a relationship, for example Brangelina,” combining Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

“Shipping is when you try to put to characters, whether they belong together or not into a relationship,” Sanders said.

The term “Whovian”, which describes one who is a fan of the BBC television show “Dr. Who,” is now in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, she said.

These terms can unify those who are in love with a particular show, and Sanders said she wants people to know it’s okay to be loud and proud about whatever they “geek out” over.

“If you’re gonna geek out about something just go ahead and do it,” she said.