What once was a way of pointing out disrespectful behavior, now stands as a popular
form of blacklisting and ostracism. This is cancel culture. The problem I have with this
phenomenon is not why it came about in our society but what it has become and evolved into. I
don’t believe calling out another person for conducting themselves poorly or saying offensive
things is in any way bad, yet imposing religious or societal beliefs on someone else and
expecting them to follow your idea of how to live is where I draw the line and I think that is what
cancel culture has become. Cancel culture should cease to exist because it is weaponized in
situations of disagreeance, it ruins people’s lives as far as status and profession, and it has affects
on mental health.
A common thing people tend to do nowadays, especially on the topic of politics, is cancel
one another for opposing views. According to www.vox.com, “In 2019, the New Republic’s
Osita Nwanevu observed just how frequently some media outlets have compared cancel culture
to violent political uprisings, ranging from ethnocide to torture under dictatorial regimes.” If
your favorite celebrity reveals he or she voted for Trump, the amount of rejection that individual
will receive from the public is crazy. Despite my undying dislike towards the orange man, cancel
culture cannot be weaponized and used against the celebrity who voted for him due to her
differing beliefs. It can not generally be weaponized.
As for ruining people’s lives, cancel culture is causing people to lose their good
reputation and even cost them their job. I believe with this trend of boycotting someone’s
existence for doing something that an individual or group of people deem offensive or disagree
with, they are given the opportunity to take things a step further and completely ruin everything
about the person they are targeting. A majority of the time, especially with teenage cancel
culture, the person targeted doesn’t deserve to be canceled and they are because someone like
13-year-old girl can take offense to literally anything an influencer can do. They risk losing
brand deals, followers, and money when the word cancelled is associated with their name.
According to www.newportacademy.com, “Being canceled can lead to teen anxiety,
depression, trauma, and suicidal thoughts and behavior.” Most of the young social media
influencers who have gained a large following on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Twitter,
and Youtube have been subject to cancel culture and the drama it entails. Many of these stars,
like Charli D’amelio, have lost multiple followers and brand deals as one scandal leads to
another, but she also lost her happiness. D’amelio voiced her opinions on stopping social media
overall and taking some time to cater to her mental health. She isn’t the first to say such a thing.
Many teenagers and young adults living in this cancel culture find it agonizing to stay on the
apps that used to make them so happy.
This trend, cancel culture, should discontinue. It no longer is a way to hold others accountable for serious accusations and is now a form of blacklisting. There are many important issues and battles to face when it comes to calling people out on offensive behavior but cancel cultures seems to focus on getting rid of people rather than educating them.
