Make Room For Growth
Everybody makes mistakes. No matter the age or sexuality, leading the “perfect” life is something out of reach. There will always be bumps along the road, and that’s okay. It’s part of life. In a world where negative judgment has fit into the norm, especially in the media, cancel culture has become a practice to deliberately guilt-shame and bash people online for certain actions that they’ve done, whether in the past or present, that are deemed “unacceptable”.
With the standard and the position they uphold, celebrities and influencers around the world are expected to set an example to their following; to be perfect. Every choice, every word, every article of clothing is analyzed by the media. Though it seems fit that people with said high positions should be careful about what they do and share with the world, is it really okay to shame them for one wrongdoing? Is it really okay to possibly bring someone’s career to an end for a mistake?
One may agree, including me, that there are benefits to canceling people. It can help hold those who are truly guilty of illegal actions accountable. It can help victims of any sort feel heard, especially if the offender is in high power and is praised on a daily basis. It can even help stop others from doing said wrong actions, but how can we tell when canceling has gone too far?
In recent years, canceling people has become a toxic trait of society. With the power that they hold over the reputation of higher-ups in the media, they tend to abuse it and use it as a weapon of hate. Cancel culture seems to have formed into a “witch hunt”, where people go off and find anyone to cancel even when it’s unnecessary. Some do it for the drama and to bring others down due to jealousy. Others do it for attention, and most just go along with it. This not only spreads negativity online and influences others to do the same, but can also greatly affect the person on the receiving end, especially when they don’t deserve it.
A huge part of cancel culture involves digging up old information of celebrities such as tweets and posts on other social media platforms that can potentially disturb or offend others. Though what a lot of celebrities have said or done is wrong, I think it should be taken into account that people can change. We need to be reminded that growth is a huge part of life, and it happens to everyone.
We’re not the same person as we were five years ago. Perhaps even just before the coronavirus pandemic struck. We should be mindful of the consequences canceling can bring, and read between the lines before being quick to judge and calling someone out. Influencers should also learn to take responsibility for their actions. The mature way to go about this is to accept what’s been done, apologise, and educate oneself about the situation.
To be able to change one’s opinion after being educated on the matter should be something that society is open to because it is possible. It’s happening around us as days go by. It has been for a very long time. Each new day is a door open for change. It’s our choice whether we enter it and become a better version of ourselves or not. That’s how we can tell when cancel culture has gone too far: when the person has already locked and grown from the door of their past, yet we still try to break it open and drag them down with it. It is important that we take a pause, think about the situation at hand, and listen to what the person has to say. It is important that we make room for growth. Nobody’s perfect, after all.
