Toronto Fan Expo 2023

© Richard Huang

On March 19, 2023, I had planned to visit Toronto City Hall and watch the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. Unfortunately, I arrived too late; by then, the festivities were long over. Light snow was falling, and people in unusual outfits began appearing along the street.

© Richard Huang

That was when I remembered that the annual Fan Expo Canada was also under way, so I went over to see what was happening.

© Richard Huang

It is one of Canada’s largest conventions devoted to comics, gaming, science fiction, and animation. Held in Toronto each summer, the four-day event attracts thousands of exhibitors and visitors.

© Richard Huang

Without a ticket, all I could do was peer through the glass at the crowds surging inside.

© Richard Huang

Or I could linger by the entrance and take in the intriguing costumes of those on their way out.

© Richard Huang

© Richard Huang

The fans had gone to extraordinary lengths to transform themselves into their favourite characters.

© Richard Huang

© Richard Huang

Fans of comics, games, and science fiction gather here to mingle and make friends with people who share their interests.

© Richard Huang

They are energetic young people, eager to express their creativity and individuality and intensely curious about anything new.

© Richard Huang

They also readily invest part of themselves in these characters, finding a sense of identity through role-play as they move between imaginary worlds and reality.

© Richard Huang

Teenagers are not the only ones captivated by it; adults join in with equal enthusiasm. I imagine many developed the interest in childhood, and it has since become part of their lives. They come here to revisit cherished memories and recapture the feeling of being young.

© Richard Huang

© Richard Huang

Among the bewildering variety of costumes, death was a strikingly common theme, lending the scene a somewhat decadent and negative air.

© Richard Huang

Perhaps such costumes are popular because they command attention and allow the wearer’s personality and allure to stand out.

© Richard Huang

Perhaps they also free young people from the constraints of everyday life, offering the exhilarating freedom of stepping beyond reality.

© Richard Huang

Or perhaps these costumes let them experience powerful sensations—excitement, tension, and fear—and thereby deepen their sense of identity and fulfilment.

© Richard Huang

From what I could see, the decadent aesthetic may have been prevalent, but there were plenty of more uplifting figures too, including Captain America and the American heroic ideal he represents. Yet American-style heroism can also foster unthinking self-absorption, arrogance, and indifference, obscuring the inequality and injustice that exist in society.

© Richard Huang

The weather was still quite cold, so I stayed only a short while before leaving. Stepping back to consider the larger picture, the spread of popular culture—games and animation among them—and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence can benefit the younger generation, but they may also have harmful effects. What might those effects be?

With that question in mind, I consulted ChatGPT, the recently popular artificial-intelligence program. It listed the following:

© Richard Huang

• Distraction and short attention spansThese activities are highly stimulating and entertaining. Young people may become overly absorbed in them, leading to distraction and short-term attention difficulties.
• Social difficulties:Because these activities are often solitary forms of entertainment, they may reduce young people’s interaction with others, resulting in social difficulties and underdeveloped interpersonal skills.
• Dependence on fantasy:By stimulating the imagination through fictional characters and plots, these activities may leave young people disappointed and frustrated with real life, fostering a dependence on fantasy.
• Intellectual passivity:These activities are often passive and unengaging, and may discourage independent thought and creative thinking, leading to intellectual inertia.

It seems there are quite a few concerns. What lies ahead for young people holds both hope and uncertainty…