Public degradation ceremonies are archaic forms of punishment
The awakening of “Cancel Culture” rose around 2017-2018. It is apparently the unconventional way to police social media. Just note, you are being watched and with a click of a single button, you can be casted away. The reality is, there are serious ramifications when cancelling someone out. But before we go into the deeper discussion of why “Cancel Culture” needs to go, let’s look at who has been cancelled so far.
In 2020 alone the following celebrities/online personalities (to name a few) were cancelled:
- Shane Dawson
- Demi Lovato
- Jordyn Woods
- J.K Rowling
- Olivia Jade
EVERYTHING THAT’S WRONG WITH “CANCEL CULTURE”
Celebrities and influencers are cancelled for so many reasons, it’s hard to keep track of it. The common themes for cancelling someone seems to be punishing them for their past mistakes, insinuating they have done something wrong or because of a view/opinion that they hold.
When the keyboard warriors log off and take some time to reflect on their days work, they should realise it is unfair to punish someone who has already served their sentence or has changed their ways. The truth is if we continue to punish them, it would seem we are promoting a society that doesn’t care for rehabilitation. This line of thinking could prevent others from trying to change their bad ways and could promote the idea there is no way out once a mistake has been made.
What we should also appreciate is that Cancel Culture defeats the purpose of an open debate and prohibits freedom of speech. What makes the world beautiful and promotes balance is that everything on Earth is unique. If we were all the same, we would not be promoting growth and therefore, we would be quite limited.
On another note, I have noticed people are cancelled because of baseless assumptions. Take the Kanye x Jeffree Star incident for an example that happened not so long ago .It was alleged that a TikTok user created false news that the both were having an affair and it was the reason for the breakdown of Kimye’s marriage.
WHAT WE SHOULD DO?
You should not believe everything you see on social media platforms. Take caution on what you perceive to be truth and the source it is coming from. The reality is, Cancel Culture has detrimental effects on a person’s mental health.
At this point I bet you’re thinking, what if their views are offensive? Well, I would suggest you open a dialogue and encourage others to do the same – rather than banishing them. We should also take a look into who they are today and whether they have changed.
Please note, this article is based on the writer’s opinion.