This is our first Blog post with our teens in our new series Your Voice Matters. Today we have Osvaldo and Ryan who are talking about living during the cancel culture.

If you are a teen who would like to receive community services hours for writing about issues that matter to you please click this link

We have Ryan from Romeoville

Cancel Culture

Cancel Culture is a trend I have been seeing used a lot on social media recently. Cancel Culture is basically when someone is essentially canceled, their career and life being basically not the same, and they are ousted from any success they have had in life. It is a good thing, but is also a very worrying mindset to be in, and applied to the wrong situations could be disastrous for us all. On the one hand, cancel culture exposes bad people and helps rid the world of people who can do harm, however with that much power over one person’s image can be horrible. If it’s a false claim or rumor, it can ruin the person and make them mentally unwell, even when they are innocent. This is why in all of these cases, investigations should be held, people should only tell the truth, so we can make sure that no one is falsely accused. We must hold this power that social media gives us and use it responsibly, not just cancel whoever we do not like. Because, if that happens; then any of us could be canceled for 1 mistake we made, regardless of how much we have grown. It is human nature to not be perfect, and depending on the severity of the mistake, it should be on a case by case basis. That way, even if someone does get called out for doing something bad, they can improve themselves, or in a worst-case scenario go through the correct legal proceeds. People with a platform have the privilege and the right of so many fans to use their voice to advocate for good things and be honest to admitting to your mistakes when you make them. You must show your audience you are not perfect because otherwise, they will put you on a pedestal that will make the falling down much more severe. Instead of falling down a few pegs, your life will essentially be ruined and you’ll crash and burn. Some people deserve this; and others do not. This is the duality of Cancel Culture. It is up to us, as the masses; to be responsible with the power we have as the majority, to make sure we are using it wisely.