Katie Rosseinsky is a freelance arts and lifestyle journalist based in Liverpool. She writes for publications like The Independent, 

, covering everything from period dramas to the politics of hen do Whatsapp groups.

From decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs)  run on Discord to city-wide mutual aid groups, people are finding safety and optimism in numbers. For growing numbers of people, collective action is emerging as the only viable solution to compounding crises and deepening alienation.

World Builders

In a hyper-connected world, it feels like everything previously ‘insider’ is more available than ever: from behind-the-scenes access to the lives of public figures to travel experiences immersing people into worlds previously deemed unattainable. But while people embrace this community-based inclusivity and unprecedented access to their icons, they still yearn for touches of exclusivity to define their status.

As the age-old understanding of exclusivity is eroded, people are redefining status for themselves using a broad range of factors beyond solely economic ones. This new iteration of status is often based around increasingly niche and local signifiers – from luxury dupes to the rise of members clubs and closed-community spaces based on shared interests. Status is becoming a mode of belonging and connection with like-minded people.

People are erecting walls of their exclusive communities, relying on more subtle markers of identity. This is apparent with middle-class people fetishising working-class aesthetics, athletes turning to niche sports like padel, and social media groups organising around niche interests – spawning companies. As status-defined micro-trends on social media accelerate, brands face a challenge to keep up. If previously certain legacy items were automatically associated with exclusivity, now people are much more trusting of the UGC-defined vision of what status means. More than ever, speed, knowledge, inventiveness, and being plugged into the community determine what – and who – is in.

Insider Status

Dr. Phoenix Andrews is a writer and researcher specialising in politics, fandom, and internet cultures, who has written for publications like 

I Heart Politics: Why Fandom Explains What’s Really Going On

James Kirkham is a cultural futurist with a career in social, advertising, sports, and music. He founded Holler at just 23, the first agency in the world to market a TV show using social media. After selling, he spent four years in football with COPA90, Fast Company’s most innovative sports business. While running Defected Records, its virtual festival accumulated over 55 million views and gained worldwide acclaim. In 2022, Kirkham returned to his roots and started ICONIC, giving brands a queue jump to the front of popular culture.

United Kingdom

Travel and Leisure

Metro

Interview with Dr. Phoenix Andrews conducted by the author

Eventbrite

Interview with James Kirkham conducted by the author

CGA Strategy

The Guardian

REKOM Night Index

The Daily Mail

Reuters

The Evening Standard

YouGov

YPulse

We Invented The Weekend

Swiftogeddon is a club night devoted to playing Taylor Swift tracks, with Swifties attending in costume to complete the Eras Tour atmosphere as they bring digital fandom IRL. As fans seek ways to come together offline, how are personalised, hyper-specific experiences helping them build community?