Health Female: How BTS Fanhood Kept Me Connected During Quarantine

Thursday, April 1, 2021

How BTS Fanhood Kept Me Connected During Quarantine

From the Editors:
Our Pandemic Hobbies for Mental Health

This March marked one year since the beginning of COVID-19, and with it, the start of enormous changes that are still unfolding. We found ourselves challenged in many ways as we tried to balance the state of the world with our own mental health.

In this From the Editors series, Verywell Mind editors take a look at the past year of quarantine and reflect on the pandemic hobbies, both big and small, that helped us cope with the stress of the pandemic and bring back a sense of joy and peace.

McKenzie Pendergrass,
Social Media Editor, Verywell

I never expected to enter 2020—the most challenging year of my life—and come out an improved person on the other side. I was just hoping to get by and protect myself and those around me as best I could until we could crawl out of the pandemic and get back to "normal life."

2020 changed many of us in different ways, and I was changed, too, because of one major thing. BTS. The 7-member Korean group—RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook— took my life by storm. And now I can definitively say that becoming a BTS fan—or ARMY, as their official fanbase is called—made me a more empathetic, compassionate, and hopeful person.

When I think back on what my "pandemic hobbies" were, there was only one. I didn't change my fitness routine or start knitting. I started watching BTS music videos and interviews. And saving YouTube fan compilations. And downloading Korean social media apps to see what the members were up to during the pandemic. And incorporating their finger hearts into my very cool handshake with my older sister.

I learned their choreography. Rather, I've attempted to learn their choreography and ended up exhausted from all the movement. I've started a note in my phone dedicated to (very complicated due to my poor cooking skills) Korean recipes they love. I've donated to causes they are passionate about, which happily and unsurprisingly, aligned closely with the movements I have supported.

Falling so deeply in love with the group influenced every aspect of my life. From the media I intake to the foods I've been eating, it's been an absolute joy and incredible learning experience to educate myself on who the BTS boys are and the culture that is quintessential to them as people and artists.

The norms they've broken, the records they set with their music and message, and the strength and resilience the group shows in the face of monolithic, and often sinister, Western culture has further inspired and pushed me to do more to make our society better for everyone.

And it's not just BTS. It's hard to mention the group and not speak to how passionate ARMY is. As a social media editor, I know all too well how toxic the internet can be. With people being so interconnected online, it's impossible to not encounter a dark pocket on every platform. But ARMY all over the world—while not perfect—are a supportive, uplifting, and generous group of young people. They are just as inspiring as the group they support.

Most of my life I never saw hobbies as something that could make someone better. That was a naive thought, since doing things that bring us joy is probably one of the best ways to take care of ourselves. I'll always be grateful to BTS for bringing me so much happiness in a time of fear and unease. They continually remind me that life does go on, and there is always hope. In the words of my favorite artists, "If we're connected, surely it'll be brighter tomorrow."

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