Youth Trend: Underwebtribes
Share
May 4th is official Star Wars Day, a day to celebrate fandom in all its facets. And there are zillions of different Star Wars groups, clans, armies, legions and clubs spread around the globe, the majority of them founded in recent years by likeminded youngsters. These niche groups are part of a new kind of subcultural tribes, which we dubbed Underwebtribes
Be it you're into languages, costumes, war strategy, space science, music, storytelling, history, futurism, ethics, geographic, ancestry, there's a Star Wars group for ya.
Powered by the internet, Star Wars fans gather around kindred spirits from all over the world to share their passions, opinions and missions.
They are frequently in touch with one another in the online world, but also create moments in the real world to celebrate their togetherness. Each group has its own lingo, rituals, ethics and organisational structures. They're tribal safe havens in an ever-changing world, and more often than not they remain safely under the radar and try to stay underground.
These fan groups are a fraction of the current number of Underwebtribes. Youngsters gather in closed Facebook groups, on hidden fora and on shared accounts. For every fetisj, longing, field of interest and way of life, there's a group of like-minded souls somewhere. In our youth trend report Browsing The Margin, we elaborate on the subject. Take a sneak peak into the content of the report, or buy it directly in our shop.
What's the difference between Underwebtribes and Subcultures?
Youngsters are defined by the people they are surrounded with, that hasn't changed. What's different is that they connect with people — both individuals as well as groups — in new ways, fostering friendships and new interest communities. What's different is that youngsters are no longer only part of this tribe or another (as was the case with subcultures). Today they participate in a number of multiple close-knit and less close-knit tribes that all differ in customs and culture. Each of them has a different set of tribes to reflect their own unique personality. It's their personal mix of tribes that defines them.
