"MY HEART JUST DROPPED": Fans go gaga as six out of eight Stray Kids members open personal Instagram accounts garnering over 1 million followers each

August 2, 2023, marked a memorable day for the fans of Stray Kids as six out of the eight group members decided to create their own personal Instagram accounts. This surprising news was shared through Stray Kids' official Twitter account, which included the usernames and links to each member's Instagram account.

What delighted everyone even more was that all of their accounts quickly surpassed over 1 million followers in record time. Among them, Felix emerged as the fastest to achieve this milestone in just 1 hour and 36 minutes, making him the fastest fourth-generation idol to reach such a remarkable follower count.

Stray Kids members open personal Instagram accounts, sending fans into a frenzy

While social media platforms play a crucial role in bridging the gap between celebrities and their followers, allowing for more direct and personal interactions, not all K-pop idols have taken the opportunity to create personal social media accounts to engage with their fans or friends on an individual level.

This phenomenon has been noticeable even among popular groups like BTS, whose members only joined Instagram years after attaining immense global popularity. Conventionally, K-pop groups and their members maintain communication with their fans through a single collective account named after the group that is used to provide updates, share moments, and interact with fans collectively.

Stray Kids, the prominent K-pop group, also adhered to this practice. However, a much-awaited shift occurred on August 2, when the members of chose to create their own individual Instagram accounts.

This bold decision brought massive excitement to their devoted fanbase. The response was swift and passionate as the newly created accounts, in no time, gained a staggering millions of followers within a mere span of hours, with member Felix becoming the fastest to reach the feat of 1 million followers.

The members were also being followed by some of the biggest names in the industry, one of them being Ryan Reynolds, who followed the group leader, Bang Chan.

With the exception of members Lee Know and Han, the remaining members happily embraced this new form of interaction by establishing their own personal Instagram accounts. The members followed each other as well as their group's collective Instagram account.

In addition to setting up their profiles, the idols wasted no time in sharing their own unique posts and glimpses into their lives through both posts and Instagram stories. This marked a transformation as fans got a chance to experience the personal side of their beloved idols in a more individualistic manner.

The Stray Kids' members' decision to open personal Instagram accounts not only represents the evolving nature of fan-celebrity dynamics in the digital age but also offers a fresh perspective on how K-pop idols are choosing to engage with their audience. As these accounts continue to thrive, fans can look forward to a more intimate and personal interaction with the members.

About the author

Rujula is a pop culture journalist who covers K-pop at Sportskeeda. She graduated with a bachelors in English Literature from Mumbai University, following which, as a self-proclaimed K-pop fangirl, Rujula pursued her passion for the written word to report on all things Korean. Rujula has over 4 years experience in curating content for diverse companies like Disney (Star Sports), KpopWise, Icy Tales, Nettv4u, and Walking Wicket.

For her, referring to official sources and cross-verifying information are of utmost importance to maintain objectivity and credibility of the information she offers to her readers. She also takes into account social media posts from people experiencing an incident first-hand to add depth and perspective to her story.

While creatively presenting information about an artist’s particular look or campaign is Rujula’s forte, she believes her true strength lies in interviewing celebrities and idols. At Sportskeeda, Rujula has exclusively interviewed famous K-pop groups and idols such as ChoCo, Jae Chong, BLACKSWAN, DKZ, Lee Taevin, E:LFIN, Kim Seong-gyeong, and Hyun-woo.

Rujula’s favorite artists in the K-circle are BTS, Jackson Wang, ENHYPEN, and SEVENTEEN, and she admires them for their humility, genuineness, and generosity. When not busy tracking the latest developments in Korean entertainment, Rujula can be found playing cricket, a sport she has played professionally for over 10 years.

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