Texas Tech University

RISE Blog | It’s Time to Cancel “Cancel Culture”

Written By: Iris Choo, Peer Educator
Edited By: Silas James & Elizabeth Perry
March 25th, 2024

Check the trending page – who's cancelled today? While many of us have seen the term cancel culture online, we don't know what it really means. Cancel culture is widely known as a movement to “cancel” or remove celebrity status, and it's a dangerous bandwagon to hop on (Vogels, 2022). Peer pressure's influence is ingrained into our culture. We see one video or article and are totally convinced that it's true. However, the truth is that cancel culture is not healthy and can lead to severe outcomes. I, myself, am guilty of hopping on the train, but together we can learn how to be active bystanders and cancel “cancel culture!”

The Real Deal about Cancel Culture

The phrase “cancel culture” first originated from the word cancel, meaning to cut ties with someone. We've seen it referenced in film and television and we see it now gaining traction on social media (Vogels, 2021). There are a variety of opinions on what the purpose of cancel culture is for: holding people accountable, punishing those who do wrong, or simply using it as a source of entertainment. 

There is also often a confusion between “call-out culture” and “cancel culture”. Call-out culture brings attention to someone's mistakes and gives them a chance to learn from and correct the issue, while cancel culture immediately labels them as bad, sometimes permanently (Toler, 2022). Call-out culture holds people accountable for their actions by addressing problematic behavior while opening dialogue and discussion. This allows people to understand each other better, ultimately creating an opportunity for reflection. Compared to cancel culture, call-out culture's forgiveness fosters a sense of community responsibility and encourages personal growth and learning. It recognizes that nobody's perfect, we all make mistakes, and we can all learn from them. 

According to the Pew Research Center, around 77% of college graduates say they have heard about cancel culture as of 2020, and adults under 30 remain the most likely age group to say that they have heard of cancel culture (Vogels, 2022). That's a lot of people! Cancel culture has proven it's not just some casual, 3-month trend. That's what makes it important to know the purpose of cancel culture. So many people hop on the cancel culture bandwagon without knowing the harmful effects.

cancel culture statistics

Celebrity Status Doesn't Matter

When we think about cancel culture, our brains autopilot to think about celebrities—people with thousands of followers and a massive platform on social media However, we need to recognize that cancel culture occurs on a variety of scales and is also applicable to our friendships and daily lives. People can “cancel” their friends without thinking, maybe even posting screenshots and accusations on social media for everyone to see out of context. It's an unpleasant and exhausting process for all parties involved, with or without the major celebrity status. In friendships, cancel culture may involve calling someone out for doing something regarded as wrong and not allowing room for apology or forgiveness (Brownstein, 2020). Here are some common ways that cancel culture is easily spread on your own social media timeline:

  • Cyberbullying is using technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. Bullying of any kind tends to have the opposite affect leading to resistance to education or growth. 
  • The rapid spread of information on platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook. These can all be used for quickly spreading information with the purpose of increasing awareness or hatefulness through comments, posts, or stories.
  • Joining the bandwagon by looking at a trend, a movement, or content that moves you and contributing, or following something your peers do because of peer pressure. Make your own decisions when it comes to engaging online.
  • The lack of media literacy or the ability to analyze, understand, and/or create media messages. Many times, we don't stop to think critically about the content we consume and doing so can help us be an active bystander.

Cancel culture is applicable to all of us, regardless of whether we're constantly in front of a camera. Being intentional with our relationships and being proactive in being an active bystander when faced with unhealthy situations can help prevent the negative impacts of cancel culture.

How To Cancel “Cancel Culture”

You have the right to set your own boundaries and decide to whom you give your attention and support, but in some cases, canceling a person has the opposite effect of what was originally desired (Toler, 2022). Canceling often turns into bullying, particularly cyberbullying, through uninformed gossip that misses the full picture with snap judgements. Because canceling shuts down the opportunity to learn and grow from mistakes, this makes the “canceled” more prone to becoming a target for hate, internet trolls, or even death threats.

Cancel culture doesn't just affect the “canceled” or “cancelers” but can also breach onto the mental health of bystanders (Toler, 2022). With a negative outlook on a situation involving cancel culture, onlookers can become overwhelmed with the idea that others can use a mistake against them or misinterpret something they said. There is an active fear of being canceled that stifles open, healthy discourse and discourages individuals from speaking out or admitting their mistakes, ultimately hindering progress toward meaningful change and growth.

The primary way to intervene in cancel culture is to monitor your own behavior and choose not to participate. For example, avoid making private issues public immediately. When emotions are heightened, focus on communicating with the other person and being open to other perspectives. This isn't to say conflict should never be posted about, just that we should try to avoid it being our first knee-jerk reaction. You can also intervene and become an active bystander if you see it happening on your social media to others. If your friend, family member, or anyone you see is in a harmful situation involving “cancel culture”, empower them to seek further education or to take time to reflect offline. You may choose to help them by providing resources, being a mediator, or trying to stop the situation from escalating. Whatever it may be, active, purposeful intervention can save a messy situation from becoming explosive.

Putting it into Practice

Cancel culture may be an attempt to “make things right or “set people straight”, but in the end, it isn't the only way—or even often the right way—to deal with someone's mistake or interpersonal conflicts. Protect your peace and set healthy boundaries when it comes to engaging in dialogue online to make sure that you're not just hopping on a bandwagon. Make sure you know the facts of the situation and try to allow people to learn and grow from their mistakes, we're all human after all. “Cancelling” cancel culture does not mean absolving people from responsibility, it just means allowing space for them to reflect on their behavior before banishing them from the internet forever. 

Resources

References

Brownstein, C. (2020). Cancel culture extends into friendships.Berkeley High Jacket. 

Toler, L. (2022). Cancel culture and its mental health effects.Verywell Mind. 

Vogels, E. A. (2022). A growing share of Americans are familiar with “cancel culture.”Pew Research Center. 

Vogels, E. A. (2021). Americans and “cancel culture:” Where some see calls for accountability, others see censorship, punishment.Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. 

 

Back to All Posts 

Risk Intervention & Safety Education

© 2024  Texas Tech University Mar 25, 2024 3:23 PM