“I died a little on the inside,” said Mariel Lansangan about one of the wildest events in her life. Lansangan, a superfan of the boyband The Wanted, knows all about fangirling. In order to meet them, she waited ten hours in the rain in front of the hotel where The Wanted boys had been staying at on October 16, 2011. It would have been her second time meeting her idols. In the end, when she finally met them, she got kisses on the cheek and a video of them saying they loved her.

“They understand their fans and treat them as if they are normal people,” she said. She has been able to share her feelings and become friends with other fans she’s met at The Wanted’s concerts. “The fans are really nice and they get it,” said Lansangan. “They make me seem less crazy and obsessed.”

According to Urban Dictionary, the term “fangirling” originated in 2003 and most of its definitions are along the lines of fangirls making loud, high pitched noises, such as squealing, yelling, or talking so quickly, all while jumping or running around.

From her experience, Lansangan knows that fans can get wild. She needs to sometimes remind herself to keep calm and not scream whenever she is around big stars like The Wanted. But no matter what, she supports all the fans and “hate[s] on the haters for hating.” She believes that it is fine to get insane or even faint because of loving someone so much; it is what anybody would do if they loved someone as much as fangirls do.

Sometimes, however, the criticism against fangirls can get harsh. According to “The Art Of Fangirling” by Sarah S. Menendez and Taylor Weik, fangirling can be referred to as “an outlet waiting for desperate people to fill with an outpouring of feelings that no one else cares about,” or a “personality disorder.”

Yes, fangirls may spend a great deal of time “analyzing every single detail of what they’ve just witnessed or read,” and then burst into tears from shock or excitement and share their feelings with others on fan blogs. Nevertheless, they should not be known as a rabid breed of female humans obsessed with either a fictional character or a celebrity, as stated in Urban Dictionary.

To junior Bianca Lopez, fangirling means promoting something that you love and being there through thick and thin with whoever you applaud. And she has stayed true to her definition, for she has been to every single One Direction concert in LA, has purchased and promoted all of their albums, and has her room walls covered for their posters. “I just love them a lot, they make me so happy, and even make me cry sometimes,” Lopez said.

Even though at school she tries to hide her obsession for One Direction, because some students can be judgmental about her being a fangirl, she cannot help sharing her enthusiasm with close friends at school. And as for the others, she chooses to ignore the negative comments because she respects everyone’s opinions. “I personally think that they’re missing out,” Lopez said.

Ever since December 27, 2011, the day she officially became a Directioner, she has been hoping to meet the boys in person. Once she has even driven by the hotel they were staying at; however, she is aware of how dangerous it could get with so many girls all waiting to meet the boys.

It might be intimidating to think where do all these fans come from. All fangirls have their own, unique cliques, referred to as “fandoms.” As stated in “The Art Of Fangirling,” fangirls worldwide have been able to create friendships through fandoms on various social media websites and fan clubs in order to share their dedication and even some fan-fiction writings.

Lopez’s favorite thing about the One Direction, besides them being talented and gorgeous, is that ever since they were on the X Factor, they have stayed the same humble and genuine boys, no matter how famous they have gotten over the years.

The best memory she has, just like every other fangirl, is of course, seeing her heroes for the first time. “I couldn’t believe they were real and standing right in front of me,” Lopez said. “I don’t think they’re real at all because I love them so much.”