Abstract
Since 2020, the phenomenon of "#shifttok," named for a practice popularized predominantly by teenage girls on TikTok called "Shifting," has risen in prominence. "Shifting" is undertaken by fans of popular objects like Harry Potter, and is a process they believe allows them to "shift realities" into the world of their preferred media text. This phenomenon is analyzed in the context of its status as communal fan labor. Unlike previously understood iterations of fan engagement, Shifting instead allows fans a purportedly corporeal experience in which they live within their favorite text. Additionally, fans actively cultivate a communal space around this practice, as evidenced by the popular usage of "#shifttok" and the dissemination of instructional and confessional videos. The fan labor associated with this participation in #shifttok speaks to a practice of unique community building and content creation. This labor manifests in the widespread policing of behaviors and experiences, as well as the creation of video evidence which reifies community-sanctioned practices. This analysis situates Shifting as an emergent fan practice. Through contextualizing Shifting within prior iterations of fandom, we consider the ways that TikTok as a platform necessitates a shift to more embodied forms of fan behavior.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Routledge Companion to Media Fandom |
| Editors | Melissa A. Click, Suzanne Scott |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Publisher | Routledge, Taylor & Francis |
| Chapter | 16 |
| Pages | 164-174 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Edition | 2 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-003-37302-5 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-032-43800-9, 978-1-032-44608-0 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
Keywords
- social media
- TikTok
- Harry Potter
- fan communities
- sociality