Discoverinfinite scrollRe-Writing Pop Culture: Has Fan-Fiction Changed The Internet For Better or Worse?
Re-Writing Pop Culture: Has Fan-Fiction Changed The Internet For Better or Worse?

Re-Writing Pop Culture: Has Fan-Fiction Changed The Internet For Better or Worse?

Update: 2025-10-24
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Thank you to BRITA for supporting the podcast, helping us keep our deep dives going, and, of course, keeping us hydrated!




Check out BRITA here: ⁠https://www.brita.com.au/turnonthetaste⁠




In this episode, we dive into why fan-fiction remains a central part of pop culture. To help unpack the intricacies of this space, we turned to some experts. We first spoke to Alessandra Ferreri, Head of Content at Wattpad — and then we asked you, our listeners, to share your own experiences and opinions. From these conversations, we explored two questions: Is fan-fiction positive or negative for fandom culture? And how does Gen Z perceive fan fiction?




Timestamps:




00:00 Intro




3:47 Fan-fiction definition and its origins




6:16 The modern era of fan-fiction: the rise of fanzines & pastiches




7:51 Fanfiction goes mainstream: Digital fan-fiction platforms




9:10 The rise of Fanfiction.net (FFN)




11:12 The popularity of AO3 and Wattpad




13:45 Interview with Alessandra Ferreri, Wattpad's Head of Content




37:04 How fan-fiction impacts young people and how they perceive it




38:58 The positives of fan-fiction




43:36 The negatives of fan-fiction




46:49 Conclusions





Find our podcast YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18HclY7Tt5-1e3Z-MEP7Jg 

Subscribe to our weekly Substack: https://centennialworld.substack.com/ 

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infinitescrollpodcast/ 

Follow Lauren on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenmeisner_/ 

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Re-Writing Pop Culture: Has Fan-Fiction Changed The Internet For Better or Worse?

Re-Writing Pop Culture: Has Fan-Fiction Changed The Internet For Better or Worse?

Centennial World