Why do fans of underground male idols get stuck in a rapid loop of quitting and mental breakdown?

"I should be happy to see my favorite idol, but before I know it, I'm worried about what other fans think and I'm depressed."
"It was the most fun when I was a new fan. It gets painful once I'm recognized."

When observing the underground male idol scene, I often see fans who fall into a depression and quit at an incredible speed, only to repeat the same loop at a different venue.

Why does the underground male idol scene drive people so crazy? The reason is that the structure of the venue intentionally triggers bugs in the human brain. I will dissect three common phenomena from a psychological perspective.

1. "Pseudo-romance" created by physical proximity

Unlike major idols, underground male idols have an overwhelmingly close physical distance where you can interact, such as through cheki (photo) sessions and one-on-one conversations.
When physical distance decreases, humans unconsciously mistake it for a breakthrough in emotional distance as well.

Even if the brain knows "this is business," being stared at from close range and whispered sweet nothings causes an abnormal secretion of dopamine, instantly plunging you into a state of dependency where you feel "this is my special person."

2. The "hell of social comparison" created by being the last customer and possessiveness

The underground male idol scene is structured in a way that makes it easy to visualize "who spent the most money" and "who talked the longest at the end."
What should have been a fun relationship between you and your favorite idol becomes a trap where you compare yourself to the fans around you because you are trapped in a small space.

"That person is looping more than me."
"I was the one who closed the line."

By competing for the limited seat of a return from your favorite idol, all the fans around you start to look like "rivals," and going to the venue itself becomes a battlefield.
*Of course, there are also many venues with a good atmosphere.

3. The fear of "Am I no longer recognized?"

"They were so kind before, but I feel like they gave me the cold shoulder today."
In psychology, the tendency to become obsessed with these rewards that are only given occasionally is calledintermittent reinforcement.
It is the same mechanism as getting hooked on gambling.

Your brain's memory is hijacked by the slightest change in your favorite idol's attitude, you lose your sense of self by wondering "what did I do wrong," and your mental state collapses.

You aren't depressed because you are weak

Finally, let me talk about myself for a moment.
There was a time when I couldn't get a slight change in my favorite idol's attitude out of my head all day, and the fear of going to the venue outweighed the excitement.
But the moment I realized, "This isn't because I'm mentally unstable, I was just caught in that kind of structure," the tension in my shoulders suddenly eased.

If you are feeling depressed at a venue right now, it is not because you are weak.
I believe it is proof that you have been facing your favorite idol with all your heart.
I would be happy if this article could be a trigger to make your heart feel a little lighter.

How can you eliminate the noise at the venue starting tomorrow and enjoy supporting your favorite idol more happily than anyone else? To do that, you need to change your mindset. I will fully disclose this on note soon.

Have a wonderful day today.