All my life, I have identified with the title “Directioner”. If you are unfamiliar with this term, it is a name for the superfans of One Direction. When I was nine years old, I fell deeply in love with the musical sensation that was One Direction. The English pop band came together in 2010, and since then, even after they broke up, their beautiful voices, charming personalities, lead to millions of people watching their every move. Being a “Directioner” was a core personality trait for millions of tweens around the world. I remember being in 3rd grade, and when asked to describe myself, the first thing that came to mind was “I am a Directioner”.

When I hear the word Directioner, I mentally picture screaming fans, bedroom walls covered in posters, and all five of their studio albums constantly on shuffle. Being a Directioner, held the same significance to me as being a soccer player, a singer or an actor to others. This was primarily because of how much time and energy I spent absolutely adoring and idolizing them. 

Of course, as a young girl, I did get criticized for liking a stereotypically popular band. I encountered many people (mainly adults) who invalidated my personal connection to their music and personalities, but to this day I would still argue that being a fan was a part of my personality growing up. According to Oxford Languages, a trait is “a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person”, which describes my love for One Direction.