Cancel Culture and the Pressures of Being a Teen Online by Thivya Jeyapalan (2022) addresses the issues of cancel culture. She argues that cancel culture can lead to misunderstanding and reduced accountability (Jeyapalan, 2022). The emergence of “cancel culture” and the concept of canceling someone follow a well-known pattern: A prominent person, such as a celebrity, says or does something objectionable (Jeyapalan, 2022). A public reaction follows, frequently spurred by politically liberal social media. Then there are the requests to “cancel the individual,” that is, to essentially put a stop to their career or erase their cultural cachet, whether through work boycotts or workplace reprimands (Jeyapalan, 2022). The source effectively and persuasively presents the argument as it is supported by appeals to facts and examples.
With regard to the strengths of the argument made by Jeyapalan, she makes parallels with the past. For example, she compared the cancel culture of Athens with today’s social media. Even while the current edition of cancel culture is less dramatic, it may nonetheless completely change someone’s life (Jeyapalan, 2022). The practice, which is a by-product of social media, has grown significantly in popularity in part because sharing anything online is so simple. By providing this analysis, Jeyapalan could demonstrate the roots of cancel culture and its problematic aspects.
The source also provides information on how cancel culture influences mental health. According to several studies, being publicly shamed may have a negative effect on one’s mental health by causing anxiety, intense guilt, and loneliness (Jeyapalan, 2022). Even when they think what the victim is going through is harsh or unjust, bystanders’ mental health might suffer as a result of their decision to avoid controversy and keep quiet out of fear of being “canceled” themselves (Jeyapalan, 2022). Youths, in particular, are affected by this (Jeyapalan, 2022). In a 2018 study examining how media influences teenage brain development, published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers discovered teens may be more susceptible to approval and rejection on social media since the socialization-related areas of the brain are still growing.
On the other hand, the source has some weaknesses. The major limitation of the article is that it does not analyze cancel culture in a more practical way. For example, cancel culture provides a voice for less powerful groups. The author only talks about the negative aspects of cancel culture (Jeyapalan, 2022). The process of publicly demanding accountability and then boycotting if all else fails has gained popularity as a key social justice tool (Jeyapalan, 2022). It allows people to address some of the enormous power disparities that frequently exist between public figures with large platforms and audiences and the people and communities that their words and actions may harm.
To conclude, the source is effective in showing the side effects of modern cancel culture. It explains the drawbacks of cancel culture on the mental health of young people. For the majority of human history, people have disagreed with each other’s opinions and views. But these sorts of relationships now take place differently because of the internet, especially social media. Jeyapalan could illustrate how social media can make people less accountable for their actions and put others in danger of bullying. There are countless people who can go online and criticize the actions or comments of others, and organizing organizations to take part in the public debate has never been simpler.
Reference
Jeyapalan, T. (2022). Cancel Culture and the Pressures of Being a Teen Online. The Walrus. Web.