I don't know if you have ever seen someone who did something really bad online, and suddenly many people start calling for that person to be cancelled?
Well, it do happen nowadays. Just a mistake, or maybe an offence committed by someone, or perhaps he said something offensive, and before you could say 'jack', he is being brought to court online for judgement, like it's even becoming more common in this era of social media.
But then, one thing I have asked myself is if these things are really justice. I know some actions are very bad to ignore and that people should always take responsibility for their actions, but even at that, online communities shouldn't take laws into their hands by destroying one's image or even family.
One important thing we always overlook before reacting online is that sometimes, the person may have been reported to the right authority and faced legal actions but, yet, was dragged online for additional punishment. You see, this is where the whole thing gets complicated.
Okay, let's imagine the person who committed a crime was found guilty already in the country and facing the law as demanded, while still undergoing the punishment by the law. Such a person is being dragged and exposed online again with a rain of insults to his family, which is capable of making him not have a normal life afterwards. This leaves me wondering what point should accountability becomes another form of punishment because it's confusing 馃馃.
No doubt, social media has given you and I a voice, which is something commendable in many ways. But let's be honest, sometimes, that same voice we are happy about today may become dangerous when millions of people online decide to punish someone without verification. A lot of the time, we see situations where people were accused online, wrong accusations, and only new information to come out later on and change the entire story. But you know what? The deed has been done; the damage is there already.
Personally, I believe people should be held accountable for their wrong actions, but I also believe that there should be limits to this. If someone is found guilty of a crime, let the right authorities verify and let the law take its course. If the person has done something wrong but it is not a criminal matter, maybe the person can be given room to amend his ways and be forgiven, because obviously, no one would like to be remembered only for terrible things he has done on earth.
Now I ask, where should we draw the line between holding someone accountable for his or her actions and cancelling them completely?
Sincerely, I don't think I have all the answers, but what I think is that it is something worth thinking about before we join the next online mob, just maybe.
This post is in response to the #Hive Learners community prompt on the topic titled, Cancel Culture
Image was created using chatgpt