Shame, blame, defame, cancel culture is the name!

Iman Allie

‘Cancel culture’ is the term used to describe the boycotting of something or someone such as a public figure after saying something offensive or behaving badly. For example, if a famous singer were to offend a community, people would ‘cancel’ them by boycotting their music. Cancel culture is quite popular among ‘Gen Z’ and ‘Millennials’ and it mainly takes place on social media in the form of shaming.

This widespread culture is seen as quite controversial. Because it allegedly promotes cyberbullying, some feel as if it infringes on their freedom of speech, and of course, it isolates those who do not agree with the majority.

With that, it can also have a positive impact on the society. It holds people accountable for their sayings and bad behaviour. A few eras ago people could easily get away with discriminatory behaviour, but now with the rise of cancel culture, people are being reprimanded for it. It is argued that cancel culture gives another sense of justice where the justice system has failed. For example, the #metoomovement has allowed numerous women to speak up about their experiences regarding gender-based violence. Lastly, cancel culture gives power to the less powerful.

Whether you see cancel culture as good or bad there is no denying that it is very influential. So, regardless of one’s opinion, one should act and speak responsibly, and in the event of cancelling, cancel responsibly.