For me, my biggest issue is band-waggoning, I'm aware I've made that term up, but it's definitely something that is an epidemic. Let's look at what happened to James Charles, a young nineteen year old man who I'm sure has made many mistakes in his life and will choose to do so, yet one person with a giant platform chooses to speak up and suddenly everyone else feels it appropriate to join in. People he went to school with three years prior, his best friends cousins ex boyfriends sister finding a way to somehow relate and join in, it's people who really should know better jumping onto the bandwaggon and adding fuel to an already burning fire. For me in those situations, I think if person x, y or z has an issue, they should contact the person, you don't wait for someone else to speak up before latching onto the end of that and running with it. We can reflect now and if you have watched most of the videos of the people involved, it's pretty clear to see that the first video put out wasn't a true reflection of the situation, and yet so many people chose to turn on the man based off a story one person told. It's scary isn't it? That people can judge you so harshly on a situation they know nothing about. It must have been especially scary for James, it's his whole career and given the initial video that triggered the demand to 'cancel' him, landed as he was flying to Sydney. He arrived and whilst being faced with that video he then had to go and meet thousands upon thousand of fans not knowing what to expect and having to fake a smile regardless. I'm sure he was probably terrified of the fans reactions but he did it non the less. Thankfully for him and the rest of the people who jumped on the fiction bandwaggon, it went well for him as the fans were lovely. Regardless I'm sure he would have had lots of security and disability support Sydney.
But we're in 2019 and given so much of people's lives is now online, it's only natural that the not so great parts often play out in the public domain too, it's pretty sucky but there isn't too much that can be done about it. You can't really contain how other people react, just hope that anyone you associate with would be adult enough to come directly to you. I think it's easy when it's all behind a computer screen to forget that there are people, other humans, with real emotions and however you act can really damage them, it doesn't matter how many miles are between you. This 'cancel culture' of wanting to see people dragged through the mud for mistakes they make is incredibly unhealthy and especially when it's based on a narrative told by someone else. It can truly damage someone and I think one day this will end in someone dead before people look and reflect on the things they're doing online.
Am I going to sit here with a holier than thou stance? Absolutely not, I don't think anyone is guilt free when it comes to judging people online, however there is such a stark contrast between having an opinion, and choosing to ram that down other peoples necks across social media. It's distasteful and it's always a bigger reflection on yourself than it is on the person you're talking about. I think whilst the whole James Charles incident has been great headlines for the media, it should be something we all take valuable lessons from, we know nothing about a situation unless it involves us and if you can't be kind, be quiet.
*this is a sponsored post
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