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Cancel Culture and How It’s Impacting People’s Lives

Cancel culture and how it’s impacting people’s lives
Credit: Christina/Vox

It’s frightening that we live in a world where a simple mistake or a simple statement can give people a chance to walk right on our face, hard work, and dignity. Cancel culture simply means boycotting someone, taking away someone’s power, career, and opportunities for a problematic situation they created. This culture usually prevails more in social media when someone in the public eye says something offensive and creates a controversial situation. 

“Cancel culture” actually came into the air around 2017. The idea was generated after “canceling” celebrities for problematic actions or statements they made. Cancel culture is getting more popular among the teens on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. Besides celebrities or people, the targets of this culture can be brands or companies as well. If we think thoroughly, isn’t that stupid that a group of people can denounce one individual for a mistake they made?

Cancel culture and how it’s impacting people’s lives
illustration by Taylor Callery for TIME

Canceled people

Cancel culture may look like people’s movement against offensive and hurtful ideology. However, canceled people go through a harsh period of time. It has influenced people’s lives in many ways. Moreover, it makes someone’s mental health fragile. Canceled celebrities have claimed their mental health to be affected due to a mere mistake they made. It can make them feel rejected, lonely, and socially isolated. Such feelings often lead to suicidal thoughts and anxiety. When you try to call on one person, it further drags a few more relations tied to them. This culture in no way is a culture but a toxic movement on someone’s life and mental health. Focusing on the totality of a person rather than one mistake he/she made is completely unfair. 

Logan paul speaking on one of the scandalous remarks he made while vlogging at Suicide Forest, Japan in 2017.  He apologizes for his ignorant behavior after getting hatred and cancellations from the public.

 Moreover, it even affects the third party. Anyone seeing this chaos and madness will have to think twice and thrice about the decision or statement they make. It gives rise to unnecessary fear and holds back their right to speech. 

Cancelers

Cancel culture and how it’s impacting people’s lives

Talking from the canceler’s point of view,  they believe that they and their ideology are 100% right. They don’t think of the possibility of them being wrong. Additionally, they don’t think the next person deserves a second chance and has the possibility to grow and redeem their mistake. Canceling powerful and well-known people might feed their ego as well. 

Is cancel culture any good?

Surprisingly, cancel culture has been kind of effective in fighting against sexism and racism. It’s good to remind powerful people that we are watching over them. We should hold them accountable for their wrong actions if they cross the limit. In 2016, many members of the film community called off the Oscars. As it didn’t involve much diversity among the nominees. This cancellation actually brought positive social changes. The Oscars set a new record in 2019 for the most wins by Black nominees ever.

Likewise, we all are familiar with the #MeToo movement where popular public figures like  Harvey Weinstein, R. Kelly, Matt Lauer, and Louis C. K. were canceled due to allegations of sexual violence in their past. This movement undoubtedly gave sexually assaulted victims justice. 

In a nutshell, as Barack Obama once said, “People who do really good stuff have flaws. People who you are fighting may love their kids. And share certain things with you.We as humans can grow, develop and have positive changes with time. So, shouldn’t we also treat other humans the same way? Be it celebrities, powerful people, or whosoever. One single mistake a person makes gives us no right to take away their EVERYTHING! 

Also Read: David Dobrik, the Latest Celebrity to Get Canceled

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