THE CANCEL CULTURE phenomenon might be seen as a form of protest.
A person, group, organization, product, brand, or anything else may be “canceled” if they are associated with anything that a community considers unacceptable.
What has this new culture already brought to our reality today? How did it change our society? Read on to find out.
Definition And Origin Of The Term
The most common definition of cancel culture is to withdraw support from celebrities and corporations after they have done or said anything disagreeable or disrespectful. A common method of this act is “collective shaming” on the Internet. Of course, there are more complicated descriptions of the term expressed in this cancel culture argumentative essay and many other sources online. You may do your research on cancel culture and find out what it means to you. With such knowledge, writing any college paper or just proving your point in the discussion would be easier. To be “canceled” is, in a nutshell, to lose someone’s good attitude and respect because of some perceived or real wrongdoing.
Historically, members of the Black LGBTQ+ community have used the term “cancel” as a method to express their dissatisfaction with another user’s activities in online forums. Eventually, “canceling” someone meant actively avoiding working with them. Today we witness many examples of canceled culture. Let’s bring one bright instance. After publishing a tweet in June 2020 that angered certain members of the transgender community, J.K. Rowling’s career was abruptly terminated. More than 46,000 people commented on the tweet in the issue, and it was shared over 95,000 times.
Positive Impact
When the legal system fails, those on the margins might turn to cancel culture to find redress. The #metoo campaign provided a platform for numerous women (and some men) to speak out against their abusers. Now everyone has the opportunity to speak, just by having an Internet connection. Powerful people cannot revel in the sense of complete freedom and impunity. Society has a lever of pressure and can punish abusers. That is why canceling culture is good.
The Platform For Minorities
Disenfranchised or weaker groups of people, minorities in modern society, now have a platform to speak about their feelings and problems. Being heard is very important for everyone. All minorities, including progressive young people, women, LGBT community, should have their place at the table. And today’s technology gives them that chance.
The civil rights movement esteemed the use of the boycott as an effective strategy for bringing about social change. Cancel culture is only an updated version of this strategy. It’s a promise to refrain from amplifying, signal-boosting, or financially supporting. People speak about the “attention economy,” which means cutting someone off from your focus is like cutting off their income. Ultimately, if you cannot oppose anything politically, your only option is to opt out.
Response To Injustice
In the fight against injustice and inequality, canceling culture may be a useful tool. For instance, several people in the film industry decided to skip the 2016 Oscars in protest of the lack of diversity among the nominations. As a result, three years later, the Oscars saw a record number of nominations for Black filmmakers. It helped spur societal change.
An energizing community works together for a shared goal. It is really inspiring. Cancel culture may also cause individuals to pause and consider their actions before sharing something rude. And it’s one more advantage of the phenomenon.
Negative Aspects
Some of the negative repercussions of canceling culture have to do with one’s state of mind. Mental health may be affected in different ways depending on whether you are canceled, the person doing it, or a witness.
Why cancel culture is toxic? Canceling events often escalates into bullying. Like bullying, it may leave you feeling rejected, alone, and alienated. And the rates of anxiety, sadness, and suicide go up when people feel isolated.
Your limits and judgments of what inspires and offends you are entirely within your purview. Anyway, canceling the person or company only sometimes results in a permanent shift in attitude. It may even cause people to become defensive. They probably will attempt to protect their pride and honor. Also, occasionally, the reverse of the intended result occurs.
The ripple effects of canceling culture might hurt the psyches of observers. Some witnesses suffer from anxiety after seeing the cancellation of so many others. They worry excessively that others will reject them if they are themselves. It may make individuals less likely to express their feelings and ideas.
Conclusion
There are elements of cancel culture that may help make individuals and businesses responsible for their actions. On the other hand, it has the potential to take bullying to a whole new level. Unfortunately, we have many examples of such an effect. It can severely impact the emotional health of all those involved. The secret to overcoming social exclusion and rejection is to refuse to let it alter your core values and beliefs.
