“If you’re Not in the Tribe, you’re Automatically Bad”: How the Sports Fan Navigates Their Own Digital Identity

Digital media platforms have become central spaces where sports fans engage, form communities, and construct their identities. These platforms also give rise to sports influencers and creators who reshape how fans perceive and perform fandom. Yet, digital media's role is double-edged—it fosters connection but can also amplify toxicity and cultural insensitivity. Social awareness, especially around race and gender, further complicates fan and athlete identities. This study draws on social identity, self-categorization, and family systems theories to conduct 22 in-depth interviews to explore how fans perceive their sports identity and digital media use. Themes include engagement, self-presentation, authenticity, and motivations. Participants often linked their fandom to family, using both real-life and digital spaces to bond with others. Matters of social justice in sports challenged some to reassess their values, while digital authenticity was viewed with ambivalence—desired by some, feared by others. This work also found many projected their sports identity online for a similar reason as with their families: it’s the easiest way to connect with others without risk of dire conflict.