Picture this: you’re scrolling through your social media and you see a socio-political post. Do you share? If so, do you put a little caption? If yes, how much time do you take in constructing your caption? Do you use a thesaurus in hopes of sounding a lot more sophisticated?
In some way and form, all of us are somehow guilty being a bit more curated on social media than we are in real life. Perhaps it is because social media is a very powerful platform that can easily uplift you as much as it can tear you to pieces.
I was recently asked what I thought about the cancel culture. It was a tough question to answer, considering its polarizing effects on mental health and social issues.
By definition, cancel culture is a form of boycotting or thrusting someone away from social circles, mostly notable on social media platforms.
On the perspective of mental health, the cancel culture, is definitely not the best advocate of a heathy headspace — especially how rapidly it can intensify on social media.
One small mistake can lead to thousands of angry people, all carrying steel sharp knives through the words they say. With one mistake, people will cut open the most unrelated of topics, judge you entirely as a human being, and pry into your personal life with dagger eyes — all because of one, single mistake.
On the contrary, the social implications say that people should not just informed but also engaged in matters of the society. It is important because this is what prevents abuse and what pushes us to practice democracy. If all of us were to be absolutely passive with zero opinion on anything and everything, just imagine how dreadful it is to live in a world where the rich and powerful are never questioned at all.
And so, having both considered the opposing perspectives, is the cancel culture beneficial to our society?
There is a thin line that separates pointing out someone’s mistake versus stoning someone to death because of a single mistake.
But whatever the situation, I do believe that it is not only important but also essential in our society to correct each other’s mistakes and upgrade our perspectives — just so long as we do not overdo it. After all, as society evolves, so should our views.
Because of this cancel culture, people are forced to stay informed and politically correct out of fear of being cancelled, and when everyone is informed, it is a lot easier to move forwards. As the saying goes, we are stronger together than we are apart.
Today, people are a lot more aware about topics such as racism, prejudice, the LGBTQ+ community, mental health and so on. People do not lightly blunt out insensitive remarks compared before.
Our society still has a long way to go, but people now think twice — and that makes all the difference. There is now a little part in all of our heads that asks us if what we believe in is right. Of course, how little or big this part is depends on every person and every experience, but we are at a good start.
As we teeter on a very unstable edge with the pandemic still very much alive, and left and right threats to our democracy, we need that little voice of reason more than ever.
The way this culture has seeped into our minds proves that people today are heading towards a much more liberal state.
Cancel culture is not simply about antagonizing others, it is about making people accountable, educating one another, becoming a lot more considerate, and most importantly, acknowledging that there are still many things we need to improve on.
Just imagine if none of our national heroes questioned the system. Just imagine if all of them settled for the confinements and exploitation of colonialism. Then you and I would not have had the right to education and all that we have now.
Liberal thinking is all about understanding that we do not stop until we reach an absolute justice for each and every person. This I believe, is what the cancel culture really stands for.
However, opinions will always vary no matter our progress. Because of this it is important for us to remember that there are factors that contribute to an opinion, people can change what they believe in, and one opinion does not entirely define a person.
As for the extremities of the cancel culture, my only take is that people should never get more backlash than what they deserve. We should also always put educating others above shaming. After all, shaming only begets heated arguments with no real resolution. It is all about staying in the right lane and making sure nothing is being blown out of proportion.
Liberalism by definition is about debunking traditional, outdated views and becoming more receptive to better ones. But the road towards inclusivity and total progression begins by being able to give your opinion while also being receptive to correction. But no matter what, it all involves raising our voice. Is not it silence a lot more deadly than raising the discussion?