Happy New Year, readers! Borasaek Vision hopes you enjoyed the holidays much as we did - fangirling to BTS fantastic stages and basking in the successes that this year has brought us! Now as we are entering a new decade, we’re sure that BTS will continue to provide content and love for their dear ARMY.
People all over the world look forward to the talent BTS will offer in 2020 and the records they'll inevitably break. Of course, this means that all eyes will be on ARMY as well. The ARMY is one of the most active fandoms across the globe, if not the most. We have the responsibility on our shoulders to maintain a reputation as a united, respectable, and generous fandom. Now’s the time for us to think: how might we establish an exceptional version of ourselves as ARMY? Here are some things we can do to become better ARMYs; we suggest you check out and spread the word!
Don’t engage in fan wars
Fan wars across and within fandoms are not a new phenomenon. These have been around since the creation of fandoms, and ARMY is no exception. Some people call ARMY a toxic fandom due to some ARMY members engaging in fan wars with other fandoms. There are times when other fandoms started the whole fight by speaking ill of BTS, or some ARMYs themselves will pick on one fandom and give their praise to BTS in inappropriate situations. Defending and declaring our love for BTS is a good fan trait, but if it comes to a point where it negatively taints the name of the ARMY - and BTS by association - it should stop.
Here’s one thing we should remember: we should divert our energy to BTS instead of other fandoms. In the end, it's just not worth the effort, or the blow to our collective reputations. Think of what Big Hit once said, “We have nothing official to say. We will focus on our comeback.” Let’s follow their example and divert all our energy to BTS instead!
Treat all ARMYs as equal
There are ARMYs who have been fans of BTS since day 1, some joined the fandom during the HYYH and Wings Era. Of course, there are the newer ARMYs, who began standing by BTS’ side last year. There's probably some "Baby ARMY" who only started stanning last week!
Here’s a fact that we all should keep in mind: all ARMYs are equal no matter when they started to love BTS. Having a growing fandom is a positive thing. New ARMYs can share what drew them to BTS, and older ARMYs can tell stories of BTS and ARMY from previous eras. Looking at it in a bigger picture, it’s a win-win situation!
No matter how you slice it, new fans mean more support for the artist.
Respect BTS’ privacy
BTS is famous in both the Korean and international music scene. As popular music artists, they cannot avoid the spotlight, even in their personal lives. News about their every action hits the headlines with news outlets tracking their every move. The ARMY is supposed to be one of the group’s safe haven, but regrettably, there are members of the fandom who overstep their roles as fans and follow BTS’ personal activities as well.
We need to keep this one thought in mind: Namjoon, Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook are human beings who deserve to have privacy. If we don’t like other people snooping around us during our personal time, then it’s also the same thing for them. Not to mention how Taehyung has very recently spoken out on VLive about how these so-called "fans" make him feel uncomfortable.
Love all seven members equally
Having a bias is not a bad thing - some ARMYs tend to relate to one member more than the others. Also, there may be a BTS member who matches our ideal person more than the others. It's natural.
But this does not mean that we should only support one member - we have to give equal love to all seven members. One of Bon Voyage’s episode is titled “7-1=7.” What does this mean? Every ARMY will see this as how BTS will still remain seven even with one member missing.
Love yourself
Last, but not least, we should embody the message that BTS makes sure to convey: loving ourselves.
Love Yourself. This phrase has been the core message for one whole era, with the phrase also used as the era’s main title. Their songs during the Love Yourself era (and previous eras) also depicts the theme of self-love. BTS also never fails to emphasize how they learned the importance of self-love. Namjoon once told ARMY during his ending speech at the Citifield Love Yourself Tour that “It’s never intended but it feels like I’m using you guys to love myself so I am going to say one thing. Please use me. Please use BTS to love yourselves. You guys taught me how to love myself every day.”
It’s never too late to love yourself.
Let’s look forward to a more improved version of the ARMY fandom this 2020 and the future years ahead. As BTS continues to skyrocket through the music industry, so does ARMY as one of the iconic fandoms that ever existed. It is good to reflect on the achievements and shortcomings we experienced for the past years, and a new year is a perfect opportunity to list down how might we become better ARMYs. What is your feedback? Let us know! We can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
DISCLAIMER: We do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.
Written By: Euni
Edit By: Aury
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