Navigating Cancel Culture: The balance between accountability and toxicity
This blog discusses sensitive topics that may not be suitable for all audiences.
In 2022, James Corden, host of the popular Late Late Show was “canceled” on social media after the owner of a NYC restaurant banned him from the venue, calling him out on social media for his disrespectful behavior towards the servers. Twitter was quick to react to the incident, holding Corden accountable for his inappropriate behavior and explaining why it was wrong. As a result, James Cordon publicly apologized online and privately to the owner of the restaurant, who ultimately rescinded the ban. In the end, Corden learned a lesson, apologized, and despite the jokes about his ban, recovered from the incident– a generally positive outcome of cancel culture.
On the flip side, a year earlier, Corden was “canceled” for a separate incident, and the response from social users was much different. On his show, he made the claim that the fans of a popular K-pop group, BTS, were only “15-year-old girls that didn’t care about politics.” His statement caused an uproar among BTS fans online, some going even as far as sending Corden death threats. While James Corden explained that his comment was meant to be taken as a joke, it did not land that way in the eyes of fans. Many social media users, instead of explaining to Corden how his words were hurtful, took to the internet to bully him and send him threats, far different than what the Twitter users did in 2022 after the restaurant incident.
The bottom line? There is a big difference between holding someone accountable for problematic behavior versus cyberbullying and leaving hurtful comments. Cancel culture, like social media, seems to be here to stay, so empowering students to navigate it in ways that are constructive is more important than ever. As is empowering students to cyberback online when “canceling” becomes toxic.
The Psychology Behind Cancel Culture
Cancel culture, most clearly explained, is the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure. What started as a way to hold people online accountable for problematic behavior has now expanded into a way to punish people we don’t agree with online.
Whether it’s a celebrity, social figure, or even a student who finds themselves as the target of cancel culture, it’s a difficult social hole to climb out of. The idea of canceling someone feeds on the intrinsic notion of joining a trend online, whether or not you agree with it. This phenomenon, whether the intention behind it was to hold someone accountable or not, can have damaging social and emotional consequences. Being a target of cancel culture causes feelings of alienation, isolation, and loneliness, which in worse cases, can lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
Cancel Culture: All or Nothing
Describing cancel culture as all or nothing means several things: First and foremost, it’s impossible to “cancel” someone if only a few individuals are showing their disdain for a social user. Cancel culture is a wagon that requires everyone to jump on, otherwise, it doesn’t work. Secondly, by canceling someone, there leaves no room for growth or change in the canceled person’s behavior. It promotes the notion that an individual must be perfect on and offline, otherwise, they’re not worthy of forgiveness.
The problem behind “all or nothing” as it relates to cancel culture is that it not only pressures students to behave in a way online that they might not otherwise, but it also teaches them that they must achieve unattainable perfection, based on what their peers want or expect.
We interviewed TSI’s student ambassadors to get their thoughts on cancel culture and how it has impacted them. Despite varying responses, the majority of the students agreed that cancel culture is harmful.
“I think canceling someone is more harmful because while it helps people reflect on their actions, it often does not give people the opportunity to truly reform themselves because all of their attention has to be given to repeated apologies,” said a high school senior in TSI’s Student Ambassador Program.
While the negative impact of cancel culture is clear, it does not mean that students should avoid holding people accountable for problematic or hurtful behavior online. As educators, we can equip students with the appropriate steps to cyberback online so that they can make positive, responsible decisions in their daily lives, both online and offline.
Cyberbullying Vs. Cyberbacking
According to Pew Research Center, 58% of U.S. adults say in general, calling out others on social media is more likely to hold people accountable, while 38% say it is more likely to punish people who don’t deserve it. What this divide signifies is that calling people out online can have multiple different outcomes, and it all comes down to how others choose to hold a person accountable. In the James Cordon example, we saw cancel culture present itself in two very different ways: One way where users called out Corden for his inappropriate behavior, and the other way that promoted cyberbullying as the result of a controversial statement.
Cyberbacking is all about having each other’s backs online. When students learn to leave positive comments and support one another on social media, they’re combating hate and cyberbullying. So, how exactly does cyberbacking relate to cancel culture?
While it’s true that cyberbacking is supporting others online, it doesn’t mean condoning negative or hurtful behavior. Sometimes, it means politely calling someone out for their behavior, while explaining how what they did was wrong. When Corden was canceled for his restaurant behavior, while there were some individuals who were being hurtful towards him, the majority of Twitter shared the story of what happened and stated how they didn’t support Corden for it.
“Drawing attention to the action that got the person canceled in the first place makes a good example for other people of what NOT to do,” said a high school junior in TSI’s Student Ambassador Program. “However, the extent to which cancel culture has grown is mildly concerning. It seems like influencers are walking on eggshells to stay in a positive light, fearing the slander and loss of popularity that comes with saying the wrong thing.”
Ultimately, there are many different ways to combat cancel culture through cyberbacking, and canceling someone, while it can be effective, isn’t always the best way to go about it. We know how cancel culture works now, its implications, and why cyberbacking is the better route for students. So how can we empower students to cyberback, instead of joining in on the cyberbullying that can occur amidst cancel culture?
Promoting Accountability and Cyberbacking in the Classroom
While it is easy for students to get swept up in cancel culture, it’s essential they have the skills to navigate it positively, so they aren’t hurting others through social media or even in person. By educating students on ways they can cyberback online, they will diminish the harmful impact of cancel culture, as well as effectively combat cyberbullying– making social media and school a happier place for everyone.
To huddle with your students on cancel culture and empower them to cyberback, here are some tips you can implement in the classroom:
- Huddle with students about real events of cancel culture: By pulling articles on cancel culture and sharing them with students, you can show the real-life implications that cancel culture has on people– take our James Corden one for example! It’s also a great way to start a huddle with your students on how cancel culture and cyberbullying have impacted them.
- Remind students not to fight hurtful comments with more hurtful comments: We’ve all heard of “don’t fight fire with fire,” and that concept applies perfectly to social media. If students see cyberbullying or hate online, encourage them not to respond back with more hate. Doing so will only escalate the situation, and may cause the student to make comments that don’t reflect their true values or feelings.
- Highlight the power of social support, especially online: It takes only a few seconds to be kind, online and off. We know hate can’t fight hate, but love and support most certainly can. Challenge your students to leave at least one kind comment or message online every day, later talking to them about how it made them and the recipient feel.
- Teach students to practice CBC- Contemplate Before Commenting: Tell students that before they rush to judge online, practice “C-B-C” or “Contemplate Before Correcting” and consider asking if there is missing context or if a negative reaction offers an appropriate and proportional response. Most of the time, if students see something they don’t like online, but it doesn’t hurt them or someone else, it’s best to keep scrolling.
The evolving landscape of cancel culture is a unique challenge for students. It holds individuals accountable but also has the potential for cyberbullying. As educators, we can empower students to make wise online choices and understand the complexities of cancel culture while choosing to cyberback whenever possible.
The James Corden examples reveal the difference between accountability and harmful online behavior and the unique challenge students face when it comes to holding others accountable in a way that is constructive and not harmful. Cyberbacking encourages positive support among students, providing an antidote to cancel culture’s negative aspects. By fostering a culture of cyberbacking and promoting critical thinking, we can create a happier and more harmonious online space for all. Ultimately, cancel culture is here to stay, but with values of accountability and empathy, it can become a force for good in students’ social worlds, both online and offline.
Want more tips for how you can empower cyberbacking in the classroom? Check out our 11th grade #WinAtSocial lesson: Getting your thoughts on cancel culture, and what that means for our school. For more information on how you can encourage students to make positive, high-character decisions on and offline, request a demo for #WinAtSocial today!
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.