It’s Time To Cancel Cancel Culture, Guys
In a touch of a button, in the send of a tweet, in the posting of an Instagram story, you could be over. And I mean, over. In the world of social media, your past looms over you and just about anything you do can (and will) be held against you. While I am all about holding people accountable, there are a few reasons why cancel culture is toxic and one of the worst parts of social media. Some people seem to think that the #Personisoverparty and cancelation train should keep on chugging, I’m over it and I’m ready to tell you why cancel culture is toxic.
Reason 1. People Can Change
I know it is fun to be bitter and claim that people can’t ever change and that who they are one day is who they will be forever, but it’s not true. While some things are truly unforgettable and unforgivable, most of the time people can change. People can grow and realize that things they did or said in the past weren’t right. As long as we’re not talking about the unspeakable, I truly believe that every single person has the capability to change the way they think and act. Cancel culture ignores that people can grow, and beyond that, it makes it almost impossible for people to try to grow. I think we should encourage people to be their best selves, and not punish them for this growth and change. Oftentimes, people have already changed and grown by the time they get canceled. The horrible thing about 99% of cancelations is that they are old news – an old tweet, an old video clip, something from ten years ago that the person barely remembers (or is trying hard to forget). And I’m not saying that they shouldn’t apologize, but if they haven’t done anything like that in years, should it really ruin their life and career? I think an apology and action should be what we’re looking for.
Reason 2. Trigger Fingers
When something is trending on Twitter, it takes only a few moments for it to rise on the charts. Most of the time when it comes to cancellations, the information is barely there. And even then, more and more people jump on to share why they think this person deserves to be canceled, whether it’s just that they don’t like them, or whatever. Most of the time, people take this as their chance to rid the world of people they’ve decided need to go without checking any facts. Facts don’t matter when a cancelation is going down, instead, rumors fly. The internet is notorious for spreading lies, and this is one of the most damaging ways. Next time you see someone getting canceled, at least make sure what you’re seeing is a fact before you run with it. Misinformation is everywhere.
Reason 3. It’s Dividing
As I said, I am not referring to anything absolutely horrible in this article, but I am referring to those who get canceled over stupidity and ignorance. Instead of canceling someone who said something bad or ignorant, shouldn’t we work on educating them? Most of the time (keyword: most) people say stupid and horrible things because they are uneducated and don’t understand the impact they are making. Ruining someone’s life and making it impossible for them to find a job will not make them stop saying horrible things, in fact, it’ll probably only make the problem worse. Cancel culture is a quick assassination, without giving the person a chance to see why what they did was wrong. Instead, for speaking their mind (even if their opinion is god awful), they are silenced and thrown aside. This creates bitter, even worse people. I’m not saying it’s our responsibility to educate every stupid person on Earth, but we could try, right? And if they don’t care to listen and continue to be problematic, then fine.
What do you think about cancel culture? Do you have any thoughts on why cancel culture is toxic or maybe, why it isn’t? Let us know in the comment section below!