“No matter when you became our fans, we are always thankful for your love.” - RM
It’s a harmless question from ARMYs who are dying to find out when their mutuals started listening to the seven boys they all love. A majority of the fandom became ARMY during BTS’ rise in the international music scene, which is why it’s nice to meet those who became ARMY during BTS’ early years and those who just started recently. The question is, when does this question become harmful?
The answer? When ARMYs start to treat the fandom as a place for competition.
Veteran vs. New
It’s expected to see growth and change in the ARMY community as BTS rises in the global music industry. Veteran ARMYs are proud of the achievements BTS has earned since the start of their career, and new ARMYs are just being introduced to the world of BTS. However, there are some veteran ARMYs who look down on new ARMYs simply because they weren’t there from the beginning. On the flip side, new ARMYs may have been introduced to BTS through a more toxic side of the fandom — solo stans and the like — and therefore are inadvertently spreading unhelpful narratives through their words and behavior.
Veteran ARMYs are often lauded within the community due to how they have been defending the boys and the fandom from naysayers for a long period of time—a fact that new ARMYs could overlook. Most veteran ARMYs now know how to choose their battles, something that many new ARMYs are still learning to do.
The ARMY community is massive, therefore it is somewhat expected that there will be arguments and conflicts within the fandom. With all the drama that goes down within our circles online, it’s sometimes easy to forget that we are all here to support BTS.
Great Expectations
There is a notable number of ARMYs, new and old, who have had immeasurable expectations placed on their shoulders: be updated with all of BTS’ content, know the meanings of all BTS’ songs, have a specific number of BTS merchandise… the list goes on and on and on. Not meeting these “requirements” might cause perceived pressure on an ARMY and widen the divide within the fandom. Just because one subsection of ARMYs might know more inside jokes, or be able to pinpoint more references from 2014 Bangtan Bombs, doesn’t mean that another subsection is any less genuine.
With so much bickering happening between veterans and new ARMYs, we are forgetting that the only qualification there is to be an ARMY is to love and support all seven members and their music.
It’s Not A Competition
Just like what the famous quote says, “with great power comes great responsibility.” ARMY is growing in numbers, and anyone who enters the fandom should be immediately and warmly welcomed. The whole point of being a part of this fan community is to connect with those who share the same love for BTS. No group of ARMY is above others, and it is our role to promote healthy relationships among the fandom.
BTS provided us a safe haven through their music and personalities, and this should be reflected in our immense community. Let’s help new ARMYs ease into the fandom without putting too much burden on their shoulders, and let’s contribute to the amount of love and support that veteran ARMYs are giving to BTS.
We should also keep in mind that ARMYs as a collective represent BTS. Our actions highly affect the general public’s perception of BTS. If they see a fan community with a whole lot of arguments going on between the fans, what would they think of BTS? These people could be future members of our fandom, and seeing a “competition” between veterans and new ARMYs would simply turn them off. We should want our fandom to grow big because that, in turn, means more support for BTS, which is why it’s important that we put up a united front.
The ARMY experience should be a fulfilling one, not a source of stress. There’s no such thing as a “Best ARMY of the Year” award for these ARMYs who constantly treat each other as competitors. Truthfully speaking, it doesn’t matter when you joined the fandom. What matters is that you love all seven members equally. If BTS holds a huge amount of respect for each other and their fans, shouldn’t we mirror that respect?
Veteran or new, we need to remember that we are all part of one ARMY fandom. If we would just stop fighting each other to see who’s the “better ARMY,” we would be able to continue being the supportive fan community that we should be. Let’s help each other grow into better ARMYs and better people, regardless of the year we joined the fandom. Because in the end, we’re all humans before anything else. BTS would love to see ARMY not only supporting their group but also supporting each other.
“Our fans are our everything. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to come this far, wouldn’t have been able to perform, and wouldn’t have been able to do the things we want to.” - Jimin
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
Checked By: Clare