This. The 'net kicked it off, social media amplified it. Infinite access to other fans 24/7 allows for rapid intensification of fandom that was simply not possible before. Corps. know this & feed a constant drip of info to sustain hype and encourage fans to internalize IP as part of their identity.

Fah, that sounds like something a Star Wars person would say. As a more rational Star TREK person, I would never let corporations dictate my personality.