Beyond Hashtag Activism: Exploring Cancel Culture on Social Media

Abstract

Cancel culture is a new phenomenon which refers to online public shaming based on perceived moral transgressions of a well-known or anonymous individual that can result in their social expulsion from the public sphere, professional circles or community. This contemporary form of ostracism typically bypasses traditional institutions showing thepower of social media to influence public opinion and pass judgement. Cancel culture is thought to have originated from the #MeToo movement, an online campaign led on social media against sexual harassment. The aim of this paper is twofold. Firstly, we shall try to demonstrate the importance of social movements such as #MeToo due to their power to break the infamous spiral of silence. Secondly, our objective is also to explore cancel culture that arises as a consequence of social media activism as well as certain alternatives to it that have emerged recently.