Fans Have More Friends

by Ben Valenta, David Sikorjak, Michael Mulvihill (Foreword)

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT THE POWER OF BELONGING Research shows that 61 percent of Americans feel lonely, misunderstood, and left out. And those are the numbers before the pandemic enforced isolation. There is also evidence that loneliness can impact your physical health. So how do we go from being lonely to belonging? Becoming a sports fan may be the first step. In Fans Have More Friends , sports fans, dads, and data analysts David Sikorjak and Ben Valenta argue that fandom can not only increase our sense of belonging but also serves as a powerful antidote to loneliness because sports fans experience increased social connection. What they didn't realize was how deep that connection was, the potential it carried for individual and societal wellness, or the opportunities it offered for adult friendships, making and keeping friends, and family ties. Their theory is if we want to be less lonely, we need to belong to a community or something greater than ourselves. Over the course of two years, countless in-person interviews and rigorously designed surveys, Ben Valenta and David Sikorjak have the proof that being a fan can lead The data pales in comparison to the incredible people you'll meet throughout the book. The common thread in all of these personal stories is friendship, community, and belonging-a feeling research can't reveal as well as stories can. Fans Have More Friends will make you think differently about sports and reminds all of us of the essential animating quality of We're in this together. Sports is not always about what's happening on the field but what's happening in the stands.

Genres: Sports

200 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2022

Reviews

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book feels a bit like a white paper / research book. That it is in fact. A lot of charts, stats, sometimes it felt superfluous.

The main thesis are quite simple:

When you are a part of a fandom, you:
1. Have more social connections and feeling of belonging —> You have higher happiness level.
2. Have more social connections —> Have less polarized and radical view and more friendly to others identity groups.

All this apply not only on a single person level, but on a social (country) level as well.

But for me as a person that is really far from sports fandom culture it was quite an illustrative read (a lot of personal stories helped) and quite inspiring read. So the authors definitely sold my the idea of benefits in taking part in fandoms, so I’ll think how to implement it in my own life.

[Alexis Roizen Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super fast and spectacularly interesting read - that sports can be the ultimate social connector and can help up rise above our political differences. My opinion about the time investment into sports has completely changed from this book. As someone who has never really followed sports, I’m buying my fan gear and looking for games to host watch parties to better connect with the people I love!

[Matthew Romcevich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful look into fandom and the surprising "side affects", made me proud to be a sports fan!

[Audrey Feldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

very well written, provides the most comprehensive sports fandom research review I’ve come across yet. excited to (virtually) meet the authors with my advisor later this week!

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting!