Calling out my generation on the cancel culture – Chicago Daily Herald

I am a sophomore in high school, and my generation is a key part of "woke" activism. Collectively, our social actions are digitally combustible and their reach instantly global. Call us arrogant and narrow-minded, I think that we are the symptom of a deeper problem.

In the past year, we have seen the country gripped by cancel culture, which seeks to diminish a person's public standing for something that they did or said. While some targets of cancel culture are at fault, many are guilty simply of being politically incorrect. When public discourse is debased, it isn't just political values that are twisted beyond recognition. Moral principles can be, too.

Let's look at Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets star who refuses to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Many have taken their disagreement with Irving's political decisions as a license to attack his moral integrity. Disagree with him all you like on vaccinations, but you won't change the fact that Irving secretly bought a house for George Floyd's family.

Judging and canceling a person based on a single decision is unreasonable. But it's becoming increasingly prevalent. An emotionally charged mode of conveying information has created a generation unaccustomed to critical thinking. Our loss of logic gives way to a mob mentality.

How do we fix this? I'm not calling for social media platforms to restrict political speech. Instead, we should all take active steps to resist the temptation to indulge in "woke" activism.

As we begin the new year, reason should guide us. We must resist the urge to make quick judgments on important issues. If we don't, how will we ever make constructive decisions later in life?

Winston Chu

Glenview

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Calling out my generation on the cancel culture - Chicago Daily Herald