How Cancel Culture Affects People’s Mental Health

How Cancel Culture Affects People’s Mental Health
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How Cancel Culture Affects People's Mental Health
Have you ever ostracized, boycotted, or shunned someone, especially a high-profile person, for allegedly acting or speaking disagreeably? If your answer is affirmative, you engaged, knowingly or otherwise, in cancel culture. Precisely, cancel culture entails taking a public stance against individuals deemed to have acted or spoken offensively or objectionably (Brown, 2020). The practice, which traces its origin to the late 2010s, continues to generate heated debate regarding its necessity and people’s attitudes toward it. On one hand, proponents support it based on the contention that it holds those holding critical positions accountable, among other positives. On the flip side, critics view it as a punishment that has no redemption. They contend that it has a chilling effect on public discourse and does not amount to tangible social change. In addition, it paves the way for such social vices as intolerance and cyberbullying (Roberts, 2020). These, in turn, lead to mental health implications. To be specific, the mental health effects of cancel culture include depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
Depression is probably the most outstanding outcome of cancel culture and results from bullying and shaming. According to Cleveland Clinic (2023), it is a common mental health condition that manifests through mood changes, such as sadness and changes in sleeping, thinking, and eating. In addition, the disorder results in the loss of interest in activities and things individuals enjoyed previously. While it is normal to feel sad or disoriented in unfamiliar or sad situations, the hallmarks of depression are different since they persist for a longer period than necessary. If left untreated for a long time, depression can lead to detrimental tendencies, such as self-harm and suicide. The good news, however, is that the condition is treatable when detected early. One way of treating depression is through psychotherapy, which involves talking to a mental health professional (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). The therapists help patients identify and change unhealthy behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. Similarly, using antidepressants can alter the brain chemistry that causes depression. Health professionals can help depressed people to decide the appropriate type to use since some have side effects. Besides, regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding alcohol can be instrumental in improving depression symptoms. People suffering from depression resulting from cancel culture exhibit varying signs of depression. For instance, they appear sad, hopeless, and worried. They usually happen because they may have lost their sources of income, or their reputations could have gone through irreparable damage. In severe cases, they end up losing the meaning of life, prompting them to commit suicide. Further, since they are hurting after undergoing public humiliation, they can decide to vent their frustrations and hurting on the people around them. As such, they incline toward harming or even killing others because they are easily irritable (Cleve...