The Social Impact of Cancel Culture
Cancel culture is a form of ostracism in which the general public withdraws support or boycotts an individual or company after they have done something that is seen as offensive or questionable. This culture has become commonplace within today’s society, especially with the use of many social platforms. However, cancel culture has been the subject of much controversy due to its incendiary nature.
A Powerful Culture
Some argue that cancel culture has positive impacts on society. Cancel culture is a variant to callout culture, and as such many have used cancel culture to seek accountability from an individual. The #MeToo movement allowed many men and women to both call out their abusers through the use of the Internet and few people of power such as Harvey Weinstein had been convicted and ‘cancelled’ as a result of this culture.
Cancel culture’s roots in callout culture also help to give a voice to people who have less of a voice in society. The Black Lives Matter movement is a prime example of this, and this collective movement was used as a platform to rally the people against the police system. Following the death of George Floyd, many had aimed to cancel and bring about change to the justice system. Many cops who were allegedly racist were brought to the public eye to be cancelled within the movement and many protests ensued to ensure that support for the racial origins of the police was not one to be accepted in the modern day.
An Incendiary Culture
As powerful as a tool that cancel culture can be to unite people against problematic individuals and issues in modern day society, it can also be used destructively. Cancel culture can lead to cyberbullying or incite violence and threats toward the individual or company that is in question. Calling out certain issues is important, but the culture encourages people to cancel and reluctant to forgive. All people make mistakes, but cancel culture creates an environment that does not allow people to apologize, learn, and grow from their mistakes, one very important aspect of human nature. Death threats are a common proclamation against canceled individuals as the culture brings out a sense of mob mentality within users of social media. Because cancel culture can devolve into a form of cyberbullying, the mental health of a canceled individual will be damaged. A 2020 study found that 39% of cyberbully victims showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.
People argue that cancel culture does not even bring about productive change. The internet in the modern day contains a lot of calling out as well as public shaming. Cancel culture comes down to being honest to ourselves about whether we’re cancelling something for the correct reasons rather than just to let out anger. Frequently, cancel culture can promote sympathy for the alleged offender, especially if they are a celebrity as fans will continue to support them. After many decades of cancellation and documentaries about certain wrongdoings, Michael Jackson and R. Kelly’s music saw an increase in activity among music streaming services. Celebrities are more likely to get off the hook.
The Consensus
Cancel culture has become a regular part of modern day society as digital technologies have allowed people to callout an issue and spread a message. However, much like the technologies that allow us to use cancel culture, we must hold a responsibility to the powers of cancel culture. Cancel culture can help humans unite together and bring forward solutions to combat the issues within society, but it can also be used to destroy ourselves and each other if not used properly. Whether or not humans use it responsibly consistently is still a question to be pondered. However, cancel culture is here to stay in our society and impact it by bringing both the best and worst among humanity.