The age of social media connectivity allows for global eyes to pry into public controversy. Social media clips and videos allow for accountability in the blink of an eye; the line between accountability and harassment can be blurred.
The Coldplay cheating scandal was a prime example of public reckoning. Over the summer, Andy Byron, then CEO of the data company Astronomer, and his employee Kristin Cabot, were seen shielding their identities after being spotted on the jumbotron’s kiss cam. Days later, Byron resigned from his position while Cabot was placed on leave.
Nearly two months later, another scandal was caught on a jumbotron, this time at Citizens Bank Park. A woman was videoed at a Philadelphia Phillies game taking a home-run ball from a father and son. This clip became incredibly popular on social media, and the woman was later nicknamed “The Phillies Karen.”
These instances, barely two months apart, spotlighted all parties involved. While the clips were merely seconds long, they swiftly shifted public perception of real people and sent social media into a frenzy. “It was crazy because it felt like every video was about these random people I had never met,” commented junior Charleigh Weatherspoon.
The interconnectedness of social media can have benefits and pitfalls. The lesson of social media is that nothing is ever truly private. In some cases, social media can highlight the true negative sides of humanity such as adultery and rage, but at times it becomes unjustified criticism.
The margin between answerability and censorship, or abuse of privacy, has become incredibly thin in times when everyone is as connected as they are now. Junior Jack Carslake noted his fears, “It makes you feel like you have to be careful of everything you say and do because one mistake could detrimentally hurt your entire reputation.”
The fact that a post, comment or video is never truly private is a pivotal reminder for all, especially for young adolescents. “I post with the understanding that one day an employer may see this,” said Weatherspoon.
One post or viral moment can directly alter all courses of personal credibility. The issue does not lie in the mistakes made but in the public’s conviction to have an opinion, no matter the circumstances. This is where true anger and reason for accountability are distinguished from performative reactions. Cancel culture provides true lessons about privacy and proper social etiquette but also valuable notes on mob mentality or censorship from powerful people.
