I really do find it utterly impossible to imagine what it's like for young fans growing up with the internet, instead of in isolation the way I did.

I do wonder whether it is that it's not just "geeks" doing it any more, or if it has more to do with the fact that, due to the inernet, the geeks don't ever have the experience of feeling that popularity is impossible for them, because there's always the possibility of finding circles in which their geekiness is cool.