A special article by Shawna Cohen in the Globe and Mail, September 10, 2022: In real life and online getting cancelled is toxic to kids and teens. The author of the article reports how parents and educators can help.
Some highlights from the article:
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- Cancel culture is nothing new: slew of celebrities have been “cancelled” in recent years. Now the trend is trickling down to a younger generation – and the impact is detrimental.
- There are benefits to some of the ideas that can lead to cancel culture.
- “Being excluded from a social group can be very devastating for kids and the effects can last for a long time. It shatters their confidence; they become withdrawn, afraid to take risks and then they’ll become even more socially isolated.” – Joanne Cummings, a Toronto-based child psychologist and director of knowledge mobilization at PREVNet, a national organization working to eliminate violence caused by bullying.
- What studies show
- What adults should do
- Paul Davis, a social-media safety expert who, for more that a decade, has given in-person presentations on the subject to thousands of students across North America, shares his knowledge and suggestions.
