The internet is a fascinating space to navigate, albeit where nearly everything you share becomes public and accessible to anyone with the proper knowledge. It’s not surprising to find someone who disagrees with you. However, sometimes those who disagree with others may take it upon themselves to act out their version of justice, initiating a witch hunt.

Cancel culture, or simply ‘canceling,’ is the buzzword or condemnation by a society of a person or group of people for insulting and outrageous words or actions they have done. Most often, people who broadcast racist, sexist, and phobic opinions or engage in harassment or violence become the targets of cancel culture. Canceling in a kind of online witch hunt often conducted by strangers and fueled by rumors, speculations, and malicious intentions can lead to unprecedented levels of humiliation and damage to one’s reputation. Cancellation culture is a modern form of ostracism where they publicly shame individuals.

Even a seemingly harmless slip-up can lead to instant cancellation in today’s hypersensitive world. The more famous the person who committed the offense is, the longer the incident lingers in public memory. In this case, a possible course of action is to leave the spotlight or their online presence altogether and sit in an information vacuum for some time. However, there is no guarantee that after returning from “silence mode,” users will not remember the person’s past transgressions. In canceling, there is very little control over how severely a person is punished concerning the severity of their offense. While one has to acknowledge the potential of utilizing a cancellation tool to bring attention to critical social issues, this method has continually revealed its ineffectiveness in practice. Shockingly, some individuals escape punishment for egregious infractions despite public outcry, while others who express remorse still experience outsized consequences.

An example heavily debated in 2020 sparked when former Presidential candidate Donald Trump mocked disabled New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski. This incident raised concerns about canceling for ableism, discrimination based on physical disability, mental health conditions, and cognitive disabilities. In other words, these views are primarily considered niche prejudices, though less important and less “evil.” Ableism tends to prompt more calls for “education” than anything like the popular concept of “cancellation.” The damage done by ableism is severe to many people, so it is easy to say, “Let there be consequences.” At the same time, we can and should draw distinctions between distinct kinds of ableism and shape our responses according to each situation.


References:
Sus, Viktoriya, and Luke Dunne. “Is Cancel Culture Toxic? Pros & Cons.” The Collector, 15 August 2023, https://www.thecollector.com/is-cancel-culture-toxic/. Accessed 22 December 2023.
Rodrigo, Olivia. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2021/03/28/when-is-ableism-worth-canceling/?sh=442db82a2208. Accessed 12 January 2024.

Sus, Viktoriya, and Luke Dunne. “Is Cancel Culture Toxic? Pros & Cons.” TheCollector, 15 August 2023, https://www.thecollector.com/is-cancel-culture-toxic/. Accessed 22 December 2023.