The consequences of cancel culture
Carland
It’s undeniable that cancel culture has shifted the balance from the powerful to the masses, putting the “untouchables” in the hot seat. But it’s more complicated than that, and far from perfect.
At its best, it’s been an effective tool used to sometimes “take down” the powerful, rich and popular. But at its worst, it’s ruined people’s lives for a simple mistake, blown out of proportion by a mob who feel their opinion matters most.
Further, as cancel culture continues to redefine what is and isn’t acceptable, cancellations are becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. And with our media turning any spark into a flame, anyone could end up in the crosshairs.
What happens when we get it wrong?
While cancel trials are very public, their consequences are lesser known, with victims facing devastating social, financial, and mental consequences that far outweigh their slip-up.
- Has public perception been able to change after someone has been cancelled?
- Has cancel culture gone too far?
- How is it any different to internet bullying?
Explore the complications and consequences of cancel culture, and where we need to draw the line in order to create a more forgiving society, in this latest episode of A Different Lens.
About the Authors
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Susan carland
Director, Bachelor of Global Studies, and Lecturer, School of Language, Literature, Cultures and Linguistics
Susan's research and teaching specialties focus on gender, sociology, contemporary Australia, terrorism, and Islam in the modern world. Susan hosted the “Assumptions” series on ABC’s Radio National, and was named one of the 20 Most Influential Australian Female Voices in 2012 by The Age.
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Brady robards
Associate Professor in Sociology
Brady's research sits between the sociology of youth and a cultural sociology of digital media. He's interested in how young people use and thus produce digital social media, such as on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, and how social media come to serve as sites of identity-work and archival memory constituted through digital traces.
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Tony moore
Associate Professor, Communications and Media Studies
Tony Moore joined the Communications and Media Studies program as a lecturer in February 2009, following careers in book publishing and as a program maker at ABC-TV. He completed his doctorate in Australian cultural history at the University of Sydney, and writes regularly on communications, history and politics in the press and scholarly publications.
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Stephanie wescott
Lecturer, School of Education Culture and Society
Stephanie is a lecturer in humanities and social sciences in the Faculty of Education’s School of Education, Culture and Society. Her research examines how education practice and policy intersects with, and is influenced by, current socio-political conditions, and she’s particularly interested in post-truth and its relationship to knowledge and expertise in education. Stephanie uses qualitative methodologies, including ethnography and discourse analysis, to examine the implications of these intersections for teachers' work and policy enactment.
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Peter bartlett
Partner, Minter Ellison law firm
Peter is one of Australia’s leading media and communications law experts. His areas of expertise include regulatory compliance, breach of confidentiality, defamation/libel, Freedom of Information, data and personal privacy, and reputational risk management. He is chair of the Advisory Board at Melbourne University’s Centre for Advancing Journalism.
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