It is 1998 and you are sitting at your computer waiting for user NY152 to come online. You can step away from your computer at any moment but choose to stay and wait.

You Got Mail is a sweet romance where the internet is integrated into the plot. However, as time moves forward the excitement of the internet wears off and the dangers loom over the head of the everyday person. You can no longer leave the internet but carry it with you as an essential tool in life.

I’m a Fan depicts this much darker and obsessive use of the internet in a romantic relationship. The title of the novel alone alludes to this idea of fan culture and deeply parasocial relationship the main character is experiencing. Now the internet shapes itself as a much more intense entity. The repetition of the phrase “the woman I am obsessed with” (Patel 266) illustrates a sense of self-awareness from the protagonist whilst narratively showing the extent of her obsession. She may be aware of it however; it controls and consumes her mind.

Video explaining fan-culture

Looking at the use of the internet as a tool for romance in this manner allows you to explore the real life changes in the understanding of the internet.