The fan culture of the bluebird movement: The creativity of the younger generation in Taiwan's political activity

Abstract

This paper takes an in-depth look into Taiwan's Bluebird Movement, a social movement that emerged in May 2024. The participants of this movement inherited many of the everyday methods utilized by the Sunflower Movement that happened in 2014. This study examines how the younger generation leverages the fan cultures they engage with and adapts them for practical applications within the Bluebird Movement. It has been observed that Taiwan's younger generation tends to view ‘political activities’ and ‘daily activities’ as equally important events, to such a degree that they would apply things seemingly ordinary in their fandom to political activities and thus break through established social norms. It was also observed that Taiwan's younger generation altered the fan culture they have adopted into their daily lives and strategically applied it to the social movement in which they participate. Furthermore, they would also extend the dedication they practice daily within their fandom toward the social movement. This paper concludes that, for young people in Taiwan, the practices associated with their interests and their political aspirations exist in a coexistent and circular relationship.