When personal lives and free speech gets plastered on the internet, there’s a good chance that what is being shared or posted can lead to a person being “canceled” by the judgment of other media consumers. So what exactly is cancel culture and how did it start?

Merriam-Webster defines it as “the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure.” In the United States alone, the average person is said to spend a little over two hours per day on social media platforms according to a survey done by the World Economic Forum, so the chances of engaging, learning about, or witnessing the “canceling” on an influencer or celebrity is very likely for all consumers. In this new age of media, it has become common for an internet personality to be relevant and liked one week, then excommunicated for merely existing the next. 

The latest example of this mob mentality is when the internet ruthlessly canceled a member, Ned Fulmer, in one of YouTube’s most popular groups the Try Guys. Ned Fulmer was exposed for a “consensual” workplace affair with a producer of their show, who also happened to be another YouTuber on the Try Guys adjacent channel. 

From the potential perspective of an outsider, it may seem intrusive or weird that these strangers are getting involved in the personal life of this person. However, as previously stated, this has been the new norm. Young people have become so attached to these online personalities that it can feel like a betrayal when they do or say something controversial. 

“Growing up watching the Try Guys, I always saw Ned as a family man who loved his wife,” senior Sadie Kaminsky said. “So of course, I was really shocked and gutted when this news was released. It made me rethink who he was and all of the material he put out there.”

However, it’s difficult to recognize when one should be “canceled” over being criminalized. Popular alternative-indie artist Alexander O’Connor, better known as Rex Orange County has recently been charged with six counts of sexual assault. As a result, many fans, some of who are now former listeners, are reasonably upset and repulsed by his actions.

“I feel disgusted by the fact I used to be a fan of someone’s music which turned out to be a predator,” an anonymous commenter said. “This shows that you can’t trust personas and the online presence of celebrities, as it could very well be fake and be covering up a horrible truth.”

In this case, cancel culture is taking a different approach because of the severity and legal proceedings, with similar heartache among fans. The trial date is set for January 3, 2023. 

Cancel culture has become a focal point of dialogue and headlines in the news, and it shows no sign of stopping. As long as the internet and social media continue to exist for the purpose of speaking freely, and online detectives get savvier with exposing information, it’s only with time that more truths will be revealed.