Hailey: Cancel Culture

Have you ever been worried about posting your true thoughts on social media? I know I have. Most teenagers spend a lot of time trying to make themselves seem perfect online. For example, when you make a post, do you edit or rethink your words or pictures to make sure no one will think it is ridiculous, racist, or offensive? Well, since you’re probably not famous, it might not matter as much, but for people who have a large following, saying anything wrong can get them “canceled.”

Take J.K. Rowling for example, the author of one of the most popular and extraordinary book series. She faced backlash in 2019 after tweeting support for a “transphobic researcher.” This backlash has led to people calling her transphobic and sparking a boycott of her books. According to AP News, publishers have noted a “remarkably sudden and sharp drop” in sales of the “Harry Potter” book series in the past year, even though sales of fiction overall rose 31%. Because she has already been so successful with her books, it doesn’t affect her as much, however, some influencers and celebrities have ruined their career by getting “canceled.” Cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. Cancel culture is generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming.

With so many celebrities, influencers, and just normal people getting cancelled over the past few years, the idea of public shaming has become a big debate: is cancel culture a good thing? Or does it do more harm? Whether it’s through boycotting, sending hate mail, or leaving aggressive comments on social media, it’s safe to say that many people who participate in cancel culture have the power to force an end to the careers of public figures. For instance, as is reported by the New York Post, Gina Carano, who plays “Cara Dune” on the Disney show, “The Mandalorian,” got fired after getting a considerable amount of hate for her post on Instagram in which she compares being conservative in America to being Jewish during the Holocaust.

Although it may be beneficial to judge others by setting strong moral standards, often it goes too far and turns into bullying and just reflects people’s desire to be right and have power over others. In fact, it can turn into an all out witch hunt. Other people who are also in a position to be cancelled easily are people in the media. In a story by the New York Times, Katie Herzog, for example, an unknown journalist living in Seattle published a news article about trans people who halt or reverse transitions, implying that people should not get operations because they might regret it. Many readers misinterpreted or exaggerated her intentions, and just days later, she started getting hate, with people calling her a “transphobe,” which eventually led to her moving out of Seattle and losing many of her friends.

The idea of cancel culture is a modern form of ostracism where someone is excluded out of social or professional circles, whether it be on social media or in everyday life. When we cancel someone, we often forget to listen to them, and end up just attacking them, which doesn’t result in any substantial change or growth. People who participate in cancel culture feel a sense of pride and think they did something heroic, but the issue gets escalated, and nothing gets solved. In an interview about the role of social media as a tool for justice, Obama criticized cancel culture and said “That’s not activism.”

We need to study this phenomenon more, and know how to judge people more correctly and not too harshly, which can ultimately turn into bullying and ruining someone’s entire future. We need to be careful with what language we use on social media. We need to think about our own problems before attacking others for their flaws. It may be beneficial for our community to call someone out when they have done something wrong, however, we must not let it go too far as it can lead to unnecessary life changing consequences.