Fan Culture Communication Mechanism Based on Interactive Ritual Chain Theory

This study is based on the interactive ritual chain theory, which is the theoretical model of interaction. This paper mainly studies the communication mechanism of fan culture and its application in the study of fan behavior on social networking sites (SNS). The interactive ritual chain theory was first proposed by Chen (2004), and then further developed by Lee et al. (2009) in their research on online communities. In this paper, we combine these two theories. Through the research, we find that the interaction process of IP drama fans is: communicate through network communication, and connect because of the common concern about IP drama, so as to establish each other's fan identity. In the process of fan interaction, fans exchange information and emotion, and constantly strengthen the interaction effect. The establishment of fans’ power structure includes the establishment of its access mechanism and power core. As an external force, the operator of IP drama will have a certain impact on the power ceremony of fans. In different interaction stages, the interaction degree of IP drama fans is different, generally including information exchange, emotional exchange and collective jubilation. The effects of IP drama fans’ group interaction include: the accumulation of emotional energy, the stimulation of group belonging, the formation of identity and the establishment of group unity.