In this era, we are known for voicing our opinions and standing for what we think is right. However, are we entitled to cancel out those who are only victims of misinformation?
A generation who grew up in the world of social media has something to change.
Cancel culture is about calling out an opinion that appears controversial and is all around the corner. For us Filipinos, politics is a sensitive topic, especially in the context of today’s elections.
People nowadays tend to cancel out those who have different political preferences to theirs. It may be great that people are becoming critical despite the spread of misinformation, but some are committing misbehavior when they tend to attack an opposing stance.
For instance, a trending video of a supporter of presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo, who intended to educate a tricycle driver, went wrong due to her misbehavior. The driver was rooting for another candidate Bongbong Marcos Jr., which led the woman to aggressively lay facts about Marcos Jr. being a robber and a liar.
Her manner of approach made the driver angry and asked her to leave the tricycle. The lady even stated that he could be someone who didn’t finish his education which added fuel to the flame.
It was harsh for her to cancel out the tricycle driver and insult him without considering his privilege and life situation. The way she spoke sounded rude and elitist, which made the driver reasonably furious.
Initially, the intention of cancel culture is to educate. It is us, people, who use it in an inappropriate way that leads people to be ignorant. Instead of serving its objective, it hinders people from sharing their opinions as they refuse to be educated.
However, being educated does not equate to superiority. Not even your political stances could give you a pass to cancel out someone who is just misinformed. Instead of attacking such people, we should learn how to approach them in a calm manner using the right words as we try to enlighten them from misinformation.
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