The growing phenomenon of “Cancel Culture” is a controversial topic among young people in today’s society. While some are quick to unfollow or “cancel” someone over an opinion or a sentence spoken, some believe it’s harmful to mental health and taken to extremes for those in the spotlight.
However, this circumstance doesn’t solely apply to those in the spotlight. For many, the block button looks extremely appealing when an interaction isn’t going the way they expect.
Civic Science finds that 61% of American social media users 13 and older have blocked or unfollowed someone over a disagreement about political content the other party put out.
While I’ve received my share of upsetting political content or conversations online in which the other person disagreed with me, I haven’t blocked anyone. This is in part because I would’ve ended up interacting with these people in person regardless of whether or not they contacted me online, but also because I don’t believe anyone has crossed the threshold into denying human rights.
Disagreeing over economic policies is one thing, but believing someone shouldn’t get things such as marriage, a home or stable income is another. For some, including myself, these items are not just politics, they’re moral beliefs. This difference separates those who can peacefully co-exist and those who cannot.
“After the election, I blocked a lot of people that I knew from middle school that I wasn’t necessarily super close with at the moment,” Mox Wilson (11, YPAS) said. “I would rather not have to know someone who would actively speak out against my beliefs or me as a person. I didn’t want that to reflect on myself and also be something that I have to know in the back of my head that I’m allowing myself to be registered with these other people that have opinions that I do not agree with at all.”
Those who are on the receiving end of the block button often aren’t simply disagreeing, they’re acting in a way in which the other person feels personally attacked for being the way they are.
There’s also a gap between cutting off friends versus family. Some are quicker to cut off the first one.
In recent years, however, it’s become more common for people to sever family ties over political disagreements. This is perhaps due to the increasingly dividing political climate that turns differences which could’ve fostered conversation into heated arguments.
After the 2024 election, 12% of voters reported that they would spend less time with family over the coming years as a result of political opinions. And one in 10 couples ended their relationships over a political disagreement, with couples reporting they “have disagreed or argued about politics more than ever” since President Donald Trump’s election.
Others argue that family ties should outweigh political differences, with some being able to maintain healthy relationships with their family and friends.
“Cutting a friend off for their political views, especially when we are only high schoolers who cannot vote nor do we understand absolutely everything about both political parties, is pointless. I would argue that, until age of voting, we should not even consider cutting people off for politics. I’d get if the person is mean or disrespectful. Then, that reason alone is acceptable to cutting them off. But if a person has been kind to you and has said they support one side or the other and you cut them off, it’s unacceptable,” Jillian Bryant (9, J&C) said.
Dr. Chloe Carmichael, a clinical psychologist and USA Today–bestselling author, argues that cutting off family over politics won’t benefit your mental health. In fact, she says, it may do the opposite.
“But ‘no contact’ is becoming a default reaction to ideological discomfort, not just dysfunction. And that’s dangerous. We need disagreement to grow, and we need relationships to stay emotionally stable,” Carmichael writes.
Carmichael also offers solutions. It’s easier to feel compelled to unfollow or cut someone off when every conversation turns into a screaming match, but it doesn’t have to be this way. She explains that it’s important to listen without interruptions, maintain a calm tone and convey respect.
Again, there is a distinction between politics and morals. It’s the overlap between the two that becomes the messy gray area where people lose friends and family. While it’s important to consider other viewpoints and consider a wide range of sources, blatant disrespect and personal attacks aren’t political stances, and they don’t need to be tolerated.
