cancel culture

 

Cancel culture is a modern form of ostracism, bullying or shaming by an emotional person or informal group of like-minded people to ostracize an individual expressing an opinion or fact contrary to or objectionable to the group’s mindset. It is distinct from respectful disagreement or discussion of diverse points of view whereby viewpoints are respectfully considered with rational basis. Instead, the approach is to suggest the person has shameful flaws and is undeserving of the right to present contrary views rather than respectfully focusing on the contrary viewpoint. The phenomenon was born on social media where the person subjected to this ostracism are said to be effectively "canceled," somewhat of a vague or imprecise term. cancel culture "rarely has any tangible or meaningful effect on the lives and comfortability of the cancelled.

The expression "cancel culture" has mostly negative connotations and is commonly used in debates on free speech and censorship. The notion of cancel culture is a variant on the term call-out culture and constitutes a form of boycott involving an individual who is deemed to have acted or spoken in a questionable or controversial manner.

Some people are afraid to express unpopular ideas for fear of being called out on social media and may avoid asking questions as a result. Call-out culture's prevalence makes marginalized groups feel "even more hesitant to speak out for what they feel is right.

call-out culture leads to self-policing of "wrong, oppressive, or inappropriate" opinions.  cancelling someone is a form of "cultural boycott" and that cancel culture is the “ultimate expression of agency” which is "born of a desire for control as people have limited power over what is presented to them on social media" and a need for ‘accountability which is not centralized’.