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Cancel Culture and Social Media Anxiety among Selected Young Adults: A
Phenomenological Study
Thesis · March 2023
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.15015.73121
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San Mateo Municipal College
Cancel Culture and Social Media Anxiety among Selected Young Adults:
A Phenomenological Study
A Research Study
Presented to the Faculty of
College of Arts and Sciences
San Mateo Municipal College
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
by:
Infante, Michaela A.
Aguilar, Alyana Marie P.
Cruz, Ronalyn
Fernandez, Angelica Mae
Rivera, Catherine E.
Tapat, Ma. Realyn R
March 2023
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Approval Sheet
This undergraduate research study entitled: Cancel Culture and Social Media
Anxiety among Selected Young Adults: A Phenomenological Study prepared
and submitted
By Alyanna P. Aguiar., Ronalyn Cruz, Angelica Mae Fernandez, Michaela A.Infante,
Catherine E. Rivera, Ma. Realyn R. Tapat, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Psychology, has been examined and
recommended for acceptance and approval for oral defense.
Mr. JOHN RAY G. HERNANDEZ
Adviser
Research Review Panel
Approved by the Committee on Oral Examination on April 28, 2023.
MR. CHARLES M. REVILLA LPT, MAED
Member
MRS. YOLANDA L. PATIO LPT, MAED
Member
MS. ALONDRA ARA A. MENA RPm
Chairman
Accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree
of Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Dr. MA. VERONICA C. IRINGAN
Head, College of Arts and Sciences
Mr. JOHN RAY G. HERNANDEZ
AVP for Academic Affairs
Dr. TERESITA C. DELA CRUZ
College President
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Acknowledgment
The researchers would like to express their sincerest gratitude to the
following individuals who, one way or another, helped them in this research
undertake.
Dr. Teresita C. Dela Cruz, the college president, Mr. John Ray G.
Hernandez the AVP for academic affairs, and Dr. Ma. Veronica C. Iringan,
the head of the College of Arts and Sciences, for accepting and approving this
research study;
Ms. Alondra Ara A. Mena RPm, Mrs. Yolanda L. Patio LPT, MAED,
and Mr. Charles M. Revilla LPT, MAED the research review committee, for
accepting and approving this research study on the oral examination;
Ms. Alondra Ara A. Mena, expert in the field of psychology, Mrs.
Edgielin C. Ramos, expert in field of research and Mrs. Christine L. Aquino,
English grammarian, for evaluating the research instruments used in this
research study;
Mr. John Ray G. Hernandez, the research adviser, for examining this
research study and for guiding the researchers throughout the research
process; and
The research respondents, for participating in the research surveys
and interviews conducted by the researchers during the data gathering
procedures.
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Abstract
: Cancel Culture and Social Media Anxiety among
Selected Young Adults: A Phenomenological Study
Title
Name of Institution
: San Mateo Municipal College
Researchers
: Alyanna P. Aguiar., Ronalyn Cruz, Angelica Mae
Fernandez, Michaela A. Infante, Catherine E. Rivera,
Ma. Realyn R. Tapat
Degree
: Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Adviser
: Mr. John Ray G. Hernandez
Date of Defense
: April 28, 2023
Social media's and the Internet's continued rise in popularity has made it
possible for people to express their ideas, opinions, and insights on a variety of
subjects. This has led to discussions about various societal and cultural movements
that have contributed to the so-called phenomenon of cancel culture. This movement,
which aims to hold people and organizations accountable for their wrongdoings,
undoubtedly fueled a culture of lynch mob mentality and harmed civil discourse,
ultimately driving these individuals and organizations out of the community. Thus,
this study examined the various experiences of cancel culture victims on social
media among a group of young adults and how it affected their mental health. This
study shows The majority of participants experience social media anxiety due to
cancel culture, which causes them to experience depression, anxiety, low selfesteem, and low confidence.
Keywords: Cancel Culture; Social Media; Anxiety
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Table of Contents
Title page.................................................................................................................... I
Approval Sheet........................................................................................................ II
Acknowledgement ................................................................................................ III
Abstract.................................................................................................................... IV
Table of Contents.................................................................................................... V
CHAPTER 1: Introduction...................................................................................... 1
Introduction............................................................................................................... 1
Statement of the problem...................................................................................... 3
Conceptual framework........................................................................................... 4
Significance of the study........................................................................................ 5
Scope and limitation............................................................................................... 6
Assumption.............................................................................................................. 6
Definition of terms................................................................................................... 7
CHAPTER 2: Review of related literature and Studies.................................. 8
Cancel culture..........................................................................................................8
Depression............................................................................................................ 12
Anxiety................................................................................................................... 14
Low self-esteem................................................................................................... 16
Low self-confidence............................................................................................ 17
CHAPTER 3: Research Design and Methodology........................................ 20
Research Design................................................................................................. 20
Study locale.......................................................................................................... 21
Population and sampling.................................................................................... 21
Research Instrumentation.................................................................................. 21
Data gathering procedure.................................................................................. 22
Coding Process.................................................................................................... 23
Ethical procedure................................................................................................. 24
CHAPTER 4: Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of data.............. 25
Themes and Sub themes.................................................................................... 25
Effects of Cancel Culture.................................................................................... 26
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CHAPTER 5: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations..................29
Summary of findings............................................................................................ 29
Conclusions........................................................................................................... 30
Recommendations............................................................................................... 31
References
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Bionote
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Chapter 1
The Problem and Its Background
This Chapter presents the Introduction, Statement of the Problem,
Conceptual Framework, Significance of the Study, Scope and Limitation,
Assumptions and Definition of Terms
Introduction
According to Sheppard in 2014 “the internet has been useful to us for
so many reasons such as connecting to our loved ones, search about one’s
different interest, and for students they can do research to name a few.” The
advantages of the internet assist us in living a more convenient life; via the
use of social media we can connect with people around us, seek information
to gain knowledge on specific issues, and share our own ideas on various
themes. But In the research of Strickland in 2014 in exploring the effects of
social media use on the mental health of young adults she stated at the
conclusion that: “potential harmful effects surrounding social media use have
profound consequences for young adults. As previously noted, the mental
health problems developed in young adulthood can plague a person
throughout lifespan.” Though social media provides substantial advantages in
our daily lives, it could also have adverse consequences for our mental health,
ranging from depression to anxiety and other issue, which can also have a
long-term consequence in our lives.
The social media has become an extraordinarily rampant platform of
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communications especially of the digital age brackets– mostly young adults.
As social media platforms are mostly dynamic websites, these have set stage
to a more modified, thus, a way more personalized profile for the users. This
dynamic feature involves sharing and exchanging viewpoints of users. As it
continues, people of different, specifically opposing stands lead to arguments.
While most people have the courage to speak up online, not everyone on a
publicly exposed site would conform to them. Ostracism on groups can also
happen virtually and this was termed today as "cancel culture." People have
been habitually behaving to cancel out people due to one's or group’s
opposing stand from theirs. Brooke Kato (2021) described that Cancel Culture
is a phenomenon on which people promotes cancelling of other people,
brands and even other kinds of societal entertainment such as shows and
movies that people may consider as offensive and problematic in terms of
their remarks and ideologies. The primary aspect investigated in this research
is whether the phenomena of cancel culture has become a source of social
media anxiety among young adults aged 18 to 25. This age bracket was
chosen as a participant in this study since they are the ones that use social
media the most. In a social media demographic data that was conducted in
2022, “people who age 18-29 are the most people who consume social
media”. (Khoros, 2022), this would contribute in finding the accurate data if
cancel culture contributes in social media anxiety of selected young adults, In
conducting this study , the researcher
employed a phenomenological
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research design that would describe the participants' experiences and
uncover certain phenomenon that may reveal truths about situations and
actual life.
Statement of the Problem
Sharing opinions on social media can be a great platform for people to
engage in society and exchange ideas; however, in order for us to be
confident in our opinions, we must have a safe place to present them as well
as an understanding subject who would read them in order for them to gain a
better understanding of a variety of topics; having a fear of openly expressing
out our perception can be a barrier to our engagement in society and can also
affect our freedom of expression.
The researchers seek to answer the following questions in lieu of the conduct
of the study.
1. What is cancel culture as defined by the respondents?
2. What are the experiences of the respondents canceled in social media?
3. How does the cancel culture experiences contribute to the development
of Social Media Anxiety?
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Conceptual Framework
CANCEL CULTURE
SOCIAL MEDIA
ANXIETY
FIGURE 1. A schematic diagram of Cancel culture and Social media anxiety
of selected young adults
This figure shows how cancel culture, a phenomenon that promotes
cancelling people based on their beliefs and ideologies, can lead to the
development of social media anxiety in an individual. Social media anxiety is
the fear of being judged and criticized by the public when sharing one's
opinions and beliefs on digital platforms. Social media should be a platform
that allows everyone to freely express their opinions, but because of the
phenomena cancel culture, this freedom, which is a human right, has not
been fulfilled.
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Significance of the study
This study can help us understand and describe what the
phenomena cancel culture is and how it contributes to social media anxiety
among young adults by looking at it from the eyes of young adult’s
experiences and perspectives. The generalization of this study would be a
great contribution to the vast knowledge in relation to the Cancel Culture and
Social media anxiety of selected young adults.
Furthermore, results of this investigation could be highly significant and
beneficial to the following:
For young adults / Social media users– As they are the main
benefactors of this study with the general population of people who use social
media would benefit from the findings of this study, because they would have
better understanding of how Cancel culture is and how this phenomena can
lead to a person’s social media anxiety.
Parents- Parents would get an understanding of how social media can
affect their children’s mental health as a result of this study, which would help
them to limit their child’s usage of social media.
For future Researchers – They would benefited from this study since
it would serve as a guide and a reference for them if they choose to pursue
something relevant to it.
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Scope and limitation
The researchers seek to explore lived experiences of selected young
adults on how cancel culture has brought into the development of social
media anxiety. Researchers would be administering a semi-structured
interview to the selected young adults ranging from 10-15 respondents to
extract essence from their lived experiences. This study would focus on
seeking to give answers to student’s profile in terms of age. Also, this
research focuses on interpreting on how Cancel culture affects the social
media anxiety of the said respondents. Each respondent was interviewed by
the questionnaire that includes the questions that would seek the lieu of the
study with their permission. The researchers use Purposive sampling to
assure significant information relevant to the study and the interview would
last for 15-20 minutes in a private confidant space for the respondents. The
result of this study was applicable only to the selected respondents and was
not generalized to young adulthood.
Assumptions
The researchers assumed that young adults’ experience cancel culture
phenomena have contributed to their development of social media anxiety.
The researcher also expected that the respondents would have a better
understanding of the study's goal and would be honest, resulting in a credible
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source of information and a successful study.
Definition of terms
Cancel culture. a social environment in which publicly boycotting or
withdrawing support for people, organizations, etc. regarded as promoting
socially unacceptable beliefs is widespread practice. (Oxford Dictionaries)
Young adults. In this study, Young Adults are classified as those who are
between the ages of 18 and 25
Social media anxiety. A person's fear about using social media or engaging
on it results in account deletion, friend removal, a reduction in posting, and
account privatization.
Social media. Social media is an internet-based form of communication
Social Anxiety. Social anxiety disorder is an intense, persistent fear of being
watched and judged by others.
Ostracism. exclusion from a society or group.
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Chapter 2
Review of Related Literature and Studies
This Chapter presents the related literature studies about Cancel
culture; Depression; Anxiety; Low Self-Esteem and Low Self-Confidence.
Cancel Culture
As stated by Lauren Shank (2020) cancel culture is harsh, and it has
become a negative trend in society through the influence of social media. I
would go as far to say that it is a toxic concept and reaps more harm than
good. People have acquired a fear of communicating their ideas and beliefs,
restricting their involvement in society, as a result of the emergence of "cancel
culture" in social media. This harmful notion has caused more harm to
people's socialization than bringing any change or positivity to the growing
society.
Tucker (2018) warned about the problematic surveillance aspect of
call-out culture using Mathiesen’s (1997) concept of synopticon, defined as
because the surveillance of the few by the various. She argues that
celebrities’ words and actions are policed and compared to a perfect held by
the general public. Tucker (2018) writes that when these values, words, or
actions of celebrities do not adhere thereupon segments of the general public
they’re call-out by the media and social media users. The majority of the
public watches public figures in their daily lives, they always praise them for
their good deeds and support them in any way, but when a public figure's
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actions are tainted by a single mistake that is outside of the public's ethical
standards, they would quickly jump on the hate train and make personal
remarks that can harm the person' mental health. In the digital world, every
content and word that is typed and released is publicized and scrutinized.
Cancellation, as described by former U.S. President Donald Trump,
during a Fourth of July address at Rushmore, in 2020 bemoaned and
criticised cancel culture as a reaction by angry mobs to defame targeted
individuals (BBC News, 2020). Cancel culture has evolved into a defamation
strategy used by enraged crowds to criticize someone. People with a hidden
objective use cancel culture to denigrate an individual as a result of a blunder
that deviates from the public's ethical norm. Other critics of cancel culture
such as comedian Dave Chappelle worry about its effects on freedom of
expression (Ellis, 2019). Because diverse viewpoints can produce a
commotion among social media users, resulting in aggression, the public has
developed a dread of giving their thoughts and insights in issues on social
media platforms.
When someone does something wrong, the concept of cancel culture
has grown enormously into a button to press. The constant desire to sabotage
others by sending personal attacks, threats, and boycotts shows a lack of
interest in addressing the problem, tracing its origins, and raising awareness.
And more on public and group shaming. (I. Kho, M. Nava, S. Matsuda, 2020).
As a result of the pandemic, cancel culture has expanded, and many
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individuals have turned to social media as a hobby. This causes people to
become more involved with other people's beliefs and the desire to dismiss
them due to differences. Rather than raising awareness, they hurl personal
assaults, threats, and public humiliation.
Cancel culture has devolved into a toxic mess that is sometimes
confused with being "woke." Businesses, fearful of losing their reputation over
a minor blunder, would give in to the demands of an online army it cannot
fight. Individuals risk losing employment when a post shaming them for
something becomes viral (M. Limos, 2020) “woke” is a slang word that means
being “alert to racial prejudice and discrimination" in the society, cancel
culture was sometimes confused with being woke because people tend to
react in simple mishaps that involves mainly about cultures, differences and
more, this cancel culture cause fear to many businesses and employees as
simple mistake can be posted and social media and can cause ruckus that
can lead to business closure or unemployment.
According to (Segismundo, 2019) “the aim of calling out and canceling
someone is accountability, for the person to admit his or her mistake.” there
are some cases that the accused did nothing wrong that lead to suicide. This
happens because there are people who believe in fake news and then attack
someone through the internet. This situations only leads to bullying or worst,
suicide. Because of the rise of cancel culture, the public is more likely to
believe simple information about a person's life without verifying whether it is
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true. Additionally, there is a plethora of malicious information on social media
that aims to tarnish an individual's reputation by spreading harmful content
that people on social media would use and join to create a never-ending hate
train.
KC. Dacanay (2021) stated that In other words, cancel culture has no
explicit endgame. Some would claim that it is correctional. Some might argue
that their goal is to educate. However, though no one would openly admit to it,
cancelling popular is a joy ride that anyone with an internet connection can
hop on The public frequently participates in cancel culture, with the public
claiming that their main goal was to teach or rectify unethical conduct or
behaviours by a person, but in reality, it is merely a popular trend that the
public uses to propagate hatred.
Based on the article by UDOU PH (2019), the fatal flaw of cancel
culture is the arrogance and hypocrisy in it. Your way isn't always the only
way to do things correctly. Let's not pretend that no one else is capable of
making mistakes. We are quick to point out the flaws in others but fail to
notice them in ourselves. Cancelling people, demeaning them, restricting their
resources, and destroying their life is not the appropriate approach for people
to understand and accept their faults. We are always looking for other
people's mistakes in order to fix them, but we are never aware of our own
wrongdoings.
The devaluation of “cancel culture” is due to the distortion of its content
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and main purpose: not to bring the perpetrators to justice and to cover
problematic issues, but simply to speculate on scandals and spread toxicity
(O. Yaremko, 2021) The main purpose of cancel culture, formerly known as
ostracism, was to bring justice to individuals who had been victims of injustice
by their perpetrators, but with the rise of the digital age, the main purpose of
cancel culture has shifted to spreading toxicity and unsubstantiated scandals
to refocus. Cancel culture in this generation takes a toll on the community's
mental health because of the fear of being cancelled.
Madrangca consider cancel culture to be a successor to call-out culture,
as they both resemble witch hunts and condemnation over a perceived
problematic behavior. However, while call-out culture exposes a subject’s
behavior and demands accountability, it seems that cancel culture aims to deplatform and for the subject to face punishment. (H. Madrangca, 2019) In Gen
Z, cancel culture is the new call out culture in terms of denouncing public
unethical behavior. However, cancel culture appears to have a different goal
than call out culture, which is to publicly disgrace people via the use of social
media and then remove them from the platform.
Depression
Even those physiological needs may be in danger due to Cancel
Culture. People who are being pestered by a gang of cancel vultures
frequently have trouble falling asleep. Their brains undergo chemical changes
that make it difficult to concentrate, which frequently causes anxiety levels to
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soar and depression to be triggered. (E. Nierman, M. Sachs, 2023) this
demonstrates how the culture of cancellation can be a cause of anxiety and
depression. Being cancelled can be harmful to a person's mental health and
have an impact on their ability to go about their daily lives.
According to research by Refocus 2022, individuals who are canceled
also feel lonely and rejected. Cancel culture has made anxiety and depression
symptoms worse. People who have experienced cancel culture have a sense
of loneliness because of the isolation that the public causes, which also
makes them feel rejected. This phenomenon can make people depressed.
Dr. Becky Spelman 2021 stated that when the canceling begins, it
quickly develops into harassment among the group. You might experience
feelings of rejection, isolation, and loneliness as a result of it, which could lead
to depression, or other conditions. This phenomenon caused the public to
become aware of a person's behavior and learn more about related
information, which increased harassment and led to bullying among the group,
which can lead to depression and other mental health disorders in an
individual.
According to Lindsey Toler, MPH 2020, a public health expert with
more than ten years experience writing and editing health and science
communications. The relationship between cancel culture and mental health
conditions like depression has been covered in a number of articles.
According to her, cancel culture can result in feelings of rejection, social
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exclusion, and loneliness, all of which can cause depression. With this
knowledge, it is demonstrated that the culture of cancellation can result in
social exclusion from the general population and rejection from people, which
can make a person feel lonely and worsen to depression.
When the victims of cancel culture are individuals rather than
organizations or companies, the consequences can be extremely harmful.
Moreover, Newport Institute highlights that cancel culture psychology and
toxic tribalism can catalyze depression, anxiety, and co-occurring disorders
like substance abuse (Rupkatha J, 2020) ( Newport, 2022) The effects of
cancel culture on an individual's mental health can be more severe than in
communities, businesses, or organizations. Newport emphasizes that this
phenomenon fosters toxic tribalism, which can result in a variety of mental
health problems, including depression.
Anxiety
According to S. Mintz 2021 Anxiety and Depression is at an all-time high
with the cancel culture because it can be very isolating and lonely as you feel
everyone gave up on you before you could even apologize or correct your
mistakes. Due to the isolation and potential perceptions of the public's
resistance to change and forgiveness, there is a high likelihood that someone
would experience anxiety as well as depression when they encounter cancel
culture.
In some cases, fear of social repercussions creates a new type of
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isolation and anxiety that makes it hard for my patients to process their
emotional responses to events, even with some of the closest people in their
lives. (M. Mulqueen, 2022) in some instances, people have difficulty
communicating their emotions, even to those closest to them, as a result of
developing a fear of public criticism. This illustrates how cancel culture can
cause anxiety in a person's life in various areas.
Since rejection by their peers is one of many teenagers' greatest fears,
cancellation is often the worst punishment imaginable. Being canceled can
result in teen anxiety, depression, trauma, and suicidal thoughts and actions,
which is why there is a connection between the cancel culture and mental
health. (Newport, 2022) Since teens are most exposed to social media, they
develop a fear of cancellation. Since being canceled means being shunned by
friends and the public, it can lead to anxiety as well as other mental health
issues.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Social and Political
Psychology, researcher’s found that individuals who are exposed to cancel
culture are more likely to experience anxiety and selfcensorship. The study
suggests that cancel culture creates a culture of fear and conformity, which
can have negative mental health impacts. (M.B Petersen, M. Osmuden, K.
Arceneaux, A. Bor, D. Stecula. 2022) Researchers discovered in this study
that individuals exposed to cancel culture have a greater chance of
experiencing anxiety, implying that cancel culture instills fear in the public due
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to potential negative effects on mental health.
In an article published by The Guardian 2019, Nesrine Malik argues
that cancel culture is causing anxiety and fear among people who fear being
targeted for saying the wrong thing. Malik suggests that cancel culture creates
an environment where people are afraid to speak their minds, which can lead
to feelings of isolation and anxiety. This phenomenon instills fear in the
public's minds, making them fearful enough to make mistakes that could
result in cancellation, which affects not only the person being canceled but
also the environment.
Low Self- Esteem
People who experience getting criticism a lot tend to neglect socializing,
which leads to social anxiety disorder. Low self-esteem and self-doubt are the
effect of social criticisms, disregarding social relationships and prioritizing
mental health is a great help and coping mechanism (G. Russel, P. Topham,
2012) heavy criticism from people can cause a toll to an individual’s mental
health, People avoid interacting and staying at home because they are afraid
of being judged. Criticism may also harm a person's self-esteem and selfdoubt
As stated by Carlow University 2023 Cancel culture is about shame for
the person being canceled. Shame is a self-critical emotion in which a person
displays a negative view of themselves. Feelings of shame often come from
what other people think. These intense feelings grip a person’s self-image and
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lower their self-esteem. Because of the bullying and harassment caused by
the cancel culture, the person being cancelled may feel ashamed, view
themselves negatively, avoid social situations, and feel ashamed of
themselves.
Personal Effects of Cancel Culture on the Victims On the mental and
emotional state of victims, 57% of them had gone through depression during
those times wherein Yeng Constantino and Mark Averilla admitted they had
lower self-esteem due to shame (Placio, E.D., Vargas, D., & Estigoy, M. A.
2021) Celebrities are particularly susceptible to canceling culture because the
public is constantly paying attention to them. In their experience, canceling
culture has caused the public's harsh criticism to lower their self-esteem, and
the celebrities themselves have grown ashamed of being in the spotlight.
According to Smitha Bhandari, MD (2022) Individuals with low selfesteem often have a heightened sensitivity to criticism and negative feedback.
Cancel culture tends to amplify criticism by publicly shaming and ostracizing
individuals, which can intensify the negative impact on those with low selfesteem. This study emphasizes that although some people experience low
self-esteem for other reasons than cancel culture and even in those cases,
cancel culture can exacerbate the effects of low self-esteem on the individual
because of the constant harassment and bullying that can result from this
phenomenon.
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People distance themselves from other people out of shame after
being canceled, which can lead to ostracization, therapist stated that staying
silent leads to distance in relationship and harm people’s self esteem
(Mulqueen, 2022) Due to the harassment and bullying that the cancel culture
fosters, people socialize less out of a fear of being judged, which negatively
affects their relationships with others, making them lonely and lowering their
self-esteem.
Low Self-Confidence
According to P. Rutledge Ph.D., M.B.A. (2022) Cancel culture tends to
intensify insecurities in individuals with low self-confidence. Public criticism
and backlash can reinforce negative self- perceptions and lead to increased
self-doubt. In the social media world, people tend to notice every detail in a
person, from their face, body, and lifestyle, and dig deeper to find information
to cancel a person more. Because of the constant criticism a person can
experience in cancel culture, this can intensify insecurities to a person that
can lead to low self-confidence.
There is a chance that cancel culture would be fatal. It has long-term
consequences for those involved and can substantially undermine one's selfconfidence, especially given the rate at which it occurs and the situations in
which individuals make little attempt to comprehend both parties (Rivers,
2019). It can have long-term effects on a person's life, such as affecting their
future self-confidence as they would be afraid to share their thoughts and
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interact with others because of cancel culture's bias as the public chooses to
believe one side and never understand the others.
According to Y. Mehrotra 2022 branded with the mark of cancellation - a
tag which becomes hard for individual’s to shake off and it goes on to impact
not just their self-esteem, future prospects but also their sense of well being.
Cancellation continues after you are canceled; it has become a mark on you.
Cancellation culture has an impact on a person's self-confidence and
wellbeing because they are judged by the public for a considerable amount of
time as a result of the misunderstanding.
According to McArdle, M. (2021), Cancel culture is a toxic online trend.
But is it really a threat to free speech. cancel culture can lead to a "culture of
timidity," where people are afraid to express their opinions for fear of being
canceled. A lack of intellectual diversity and low self-confidence can result
from this fear. People are reluctant to express their thoughts and opinions
because of the cancel culture, which makes them feel uneasy about believing
their opinions This can make them feel low in self-confidence.
An article cites a survey conducted by PEN America, which found that
many writers are afraid to express controversial opinions for fear of being
canceled. This fear can lead to low self-confidence. ( H. Italie, 2021) Writers
who ought to have the freedom to express their opinions on certain topics
worry about being canceled because of the potential repercussions; as a
result, they are self-doubting and having lack of confident to write.
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Chapter 3
Research Design and Methodology
This Chapter presents the Research design, Study locale, Population
and sampling, Research Instrumentation, Data gathering procedure and
Ethical considerations,
Research design
This study employed a phenomenological research design that would
described the participants' experiences and uncovered certain phenomenon
that may reveal truths about situations and actual life. Phenomenology is a
philosophical, psychological, and educational method that aims to obtain the
most pure, unspoiled knowledge possible. (Maxwell, 2013), It was selected for
the intention of discovering the experiences of selected young adults. The
purpose of this strategy is to obtain the participants' lived experiences in order
to fully understand them from their perspective and develop new hypotheses
based on the observed phenomenon. Literally, it is the study of phenomena'
or the way people experience things and the meanings of these things in their
experiences (Smith, 2013).
Vagle (2014) described phenomenology as a reflective and inductive
methodology Meanwhile, Smith (2013) described that phenomenologists
practiced three methods in gaining knowledge in the experiences: (1)
Describe a type of experience by relating it from the past experiences (2)
Interpret a type of experience by relating it to relevant features of context (3)
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Analyse the form of a type of experience.
Study locale
This study took place in the Philippines, in the IV-A CALABARZON area,
which comprises the Rizal Province municipalities of San Mateo and
Montalban. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, who have
experience with cancel-culture and social media anxiety, were chosen as
respondent.
Population and sampling
The Objective sample size of this study is 10 to 15 young adults ranging
from 18 to 25 years old who have been exposed to cancel-culture. Purposive
sampling was the method applied in this study. This sample approach was
particularly valuable in removing excessive replies that aren't relevant to the
study and preventing numerous inaccuracies. A. Crossman (2022) stated that
a purposive sample is a non-probability sample that is selected based on
characteristics of a population and the objective of the study.
Research instrumentation
In this study the instrumentation that the researcher used is an
unstructured questionnaire that consisted of open-ended questions that
allowed respondents to freely express their experiences and thoughts on a
certain issue. As stated by DJS research, unstructured questions were used
in qualitative research and most predominantly, in face-to-face interviews, as
conversation was able to flow more naturally between the researcher and the
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respondent.
Data gathering procedure
The method of gathering data that the researchers chose was interview.
The researcher could observe the respondents' social indicators, such as
voice, intonation, and body language, using this approach. Interviews are
different from questionnaires as they involve social interaction. (Dr. MCleod,
2014) through this there is a higher response rate, the Researcher used
recording with the consent of the respondents and also took down notes to
have a reliable data. The researcher used a Phenomenological Research
design which needed an in depth description of human experience that could
be gather through interview method.
Data obtained from interview were analyzed using Thematic Analysis
that could be applied to examine any piece of writing or occurrence of
recorded communication from the participants’ experiences equipped with
summative approach used to interpret meaning from the content of text data
and, hence, adhere to the naturalistic paradigm. A summative content
analysis involves counting and comparisons, usually of keywords or content,
followed by the interpretation of the underlying context.
Data collected through interview were recorded and analyzed to identify the
patterns that emerged from the experiences and were interpreted to locate
patterns that served as the base of new findings.
By marking individual observations and quotations with the right codes,
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thematic analysis is a systematic approach of analysing and arranging rich
information from qualitative research to make it easier to identify important
themes.(M. Rosala 2022) Major categories were developed by the researcher,
and these categories produced themes and sub-themes that are not mutually
exclusive, meaning some of the difficulties overlap.
Coding Process
This research followed the data analysis and coding procedures
suggested by Creswell (2009) and Esterberg (2002). Specifically, Esterberg
(2002) suggested that open coding is a process where “you work intensively
with your data, line by line, identifying themes and categories that seem of
interest.” Creswell (2009) mandated the traditional approach in the social
sciences that allows the codes to emerge during the data analysis. Once the
data from this research were examined thoroughly through the open coding
process, the researcher reviewed the codes for emerging themes in the data.
This study followed the Creswell’s (2009) six steps during the data
analysis process and, although these steps are described in linear order,
Creswell described “an interactive practice” to analysis.
Stages of Data Analysis (R. Edgielin, 2022)
1. Read through the data. This is the “get to know your data” stage reflected
on the overall meaning to gain a general sense of the information and ideas
that the participants conveyed.
2. Organizing the raw data and were broken down into groups of words and
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phrases by highlighting and labeling them using coding process
3. Organizing the materials into segments by taking the text data and
segmenting sentences into categories. I then labeled those categories with
terms based on the actual language from the participants.
4. Generate codes for the descriptions, which then led to generalizing a small
number of categories or themes. Then, I analyzed the themes that emerged
and gathered the various cases into a general description for this case.
5. Advance how the description of the themes were represented in the
qualitative narrative. I merged the emergent themes into narrative passages,
so that the findings emerged logically from the participants’ responses.
6. Interpret the meaning of the data from the raw data up to the secondary
and primary themes.
Ethical procedure
The respondents in this study had been given informed permission prior
to being interviewed. Researchers would be responsible for the personal
information given by the respondents, with privacy being protected considered
that being canceled-out is a formed of humiliation or embarrassment. Optional
personal identity provisions, such as anonymous names, might as well be
included.
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Chapter 4
Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data
This chapter is the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data,
and the results and limitations of the study. The analysis of data presented in
this chapter is supported by the researcher’s field notes and the participants’
transcription of interview.
The data produced by the study are presented in these arrangement: primary
themes, secondary themes, categories and codes. Such arrangement of data
is structured from the research problems.
Depression
Anxiety
Effects of
Cancel
Culture
Low SelfConfidence
FIGURE 2: Themes and Sub-Themes
Low Self
Esteem
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Themes were described namely (1) Depression (2) Anxiety (3) Low Self
Esteem and (4) Low Self Confidence each secondary theme was described
in relation with ther primary theme Social Media Anxiety.
1. Depression
The respondents stated that upon encountering cancel culture
they experience depression, in their statements “Hinuhusgahan nya ko feeling
ko napanood niya yung video na kumalat. Nag karon ako ng anxiety at
depression.”
and
”Na-cancel,
na-stress.
Na-cancel,
nagkaroon
ng
depression.” Cancel culture is detrimental to our psychological health because
it prohibits us from being human beings, making mistakes, expressing regret
for them, and giving people second opportunities to change their ways.
According to Refocus, (2022) Canceling popular culture has increased
feelings of anxiety and depression also With the cancel culture, anxiety and
depression are at an all-time high since it can feel very isolated and deserted,
as you feel like everyone has given up on you before you could even repent
or amend your faults.(Gradesfixer, 2023)
2. Anxiety
The respondents stated that one of the effects of this
phenomenon is anxiety, they stated “Nagkaroon ng impact saken kase
nakaranas ako ng anxiety” and “Nakakaranas sila ng anxiety or yung mental
health nila”. Because of the negative effects of cancel culture, such as public
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humiliation, bullying, ostracization, and long-term judgement from the people,
it causes anxiety and prevents people from expressing their beliefs and
opinions, as well as lessening socialization due to fear of being stirred up in
cancel culture. L. Toler 2021 stated that they become overwhelmed with
anxiety, that people would turn on them; that others would find something in
their pasts to use against them’ . This can cause them to keep their thoughts
bottled up instead of talking about and working through their opinions and
emotions, also About 40 percent of Americans today report keeping quiet —
holding back from expressing their true beliefs for fear . (C. Mattox, 2022)
3. Low Self Esteem
The respondents stated that cancel culture lowers their self
esteem. In the statement
"Nababawasan self esteem tsaka esteem
naaapektuhan”. Cancel culture can diminish an individual's self-esteem
because of frequent humiliation from others and bullying; it causes
perspective and depreciating oneself; hearing other people's opinions about
oneself can damage a person's belief in oneself, which can generate low selfesteem. When someone is cancelled out, it is usually fueled by anonymous
users online and followed by a pact of users calling out the person in question.
The aim of the movement is to get as many people on board to shame the
person for what they have done. It is like making a mistake and a hall full of
people start crowding in to yell at you and point fingers. This shaming and
targeting can induce feelings of anxiety, fear and affect an individual’s self-
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esteem ( Y. Mehrotra, 2022).
4. Low Self-Confidence
As a result of cancel culture, the respondents experienced lowself-confidence. They stated “When it comes to self confidence kasi na wala
yung kaibigan na naniniwala sayo”. Because they frequently miss out on
social engagements with others as a result of cancel culture, they are more
likely to be isolated from the general population, which causes them to doubt
their own abilities and skills and diminishes their self-confidence. Bullying and
humiliation are two factors that contribute to a person's loss of confidence.
The public will point out flaws and hurl profanity at an individual, which can't
be tolerated for long and causes a person to lose faith in their skills and
abilities. According to Jonathan Haidt (2021) Cancel culture has created a
culture of fear where people are afraid to share their opinions for fear of being
condemned for thinking "incorrectly" and being canceled. This fear can lead to
low self-confidence and self-doubt.
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Chapter 5
Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations
This chapter presents the summary of findings, conclusions, and
recommendations.
Summary of findings
According to the data gathered from 15 respondents ages 18-25, when a
person encounters cancel culture from social media, there are four (4)
outcomes that might affect a person. The first outcome is depression a mood
disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest, this
was brought out by stress, bullying, and persistent online harassment, They
also develop the second outcomr which is anxiety which is a feeling of dread
or uneasiness about what is to come, resulting in a fear of being evaluated by
the public again, and a fear of sharing opinions and beliefs on social media, In
addition, because they are constantly subjected to public ridicule, respondents
experience low self-esteem that refers to long-term negativity about who you
are and how you show up in the world, that cause loss of value for themselves.
Finally, they experience low self-confidence, a feeling of not believing on your
self from the cause of losing people around you which causes insecurity
because they lose support from those who once believed in them.
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Conclusions
The researcher chose this study to gain a better understanding of cancel
culture and social media anxiety in young adults. Because social media is a
wide range medium of communication for the public, it has become a way for
people to express their opinions and beliefs, resulting in information clashes
that lead to the phenomenon cancel culture.
Depression is a contributing factor to the cancel culture, which is
amplified by stress, bullying, and constant online mocking. Because they are
constantly stressed and isolated from the public, they develop a lack of
socializing, which leads to loneliness. Following that is anxiety, which is a
dread of the public passing judgment on them again and a fear of sharing
thoughts on social media; after being mobbed because of differences of
opinion, they refrain from posting things on social media and acquire a fear of
being judged again. Furthermore, because they are regularly the subject of
public ridicule, respondents have low self-esteem and a perception that they
no longer have any value. Finally, they lack confidence, which makes them
feel more insecure, which causes them to be critical of themselves and
minimizes or ignores their favorable traits.
Therefore, the researcher conclude that cancel culture leads to different
outcomes and has many harmful impacts on an individual, which can affect
their daily lives and ruin their mental health
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Recommendations
On the light of the findings and conclusions of this study, the researchers
offer the following recommendations:
For young adults / Social media users- To ensure respect between
young adults and social media users, disputes should be settled privately.
Avoid using language that might be detrimental to the person's mental health,
such as insults and profanity, and instead communicate with the person in
question to help resolve the situation amicably. Education about right and
wrong, as well as respectful opinion exchange, are crucial to preventing
people from injuring others and starting fights. At last, everyone has the right
to uphold their own convictions, so accepting the opinions of others should be
encouraged. However, it is always advisable to remember the proverb "Think
before you click" to avoid sharing and posting images and text that could be
offensive to others in terms of social and cultural norms. It is critical to
recognize that every person has distinctive views, beliefs, and opinions.
Parents- Parents should be more cautious when allowing children to
use social media, educate them about appropriate and improper internet
behavior, set social media usage limits, and keep an eye on the children's
online activity to ensure their safety and to manage their online behavior.
For future Researchers – For future researchers, To gain a more
comprehensive understanding of how cancel culture affects people, it is
advised to study other age groups.
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38
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Vagle, M. D. (2014). Crafting phenomenological research. Walnut Creek, CA:
Left Coast Press.
Yaremko, O. (2021). «cancel culture» and cyber-aggression: Issues of Legal
Assessment.
Aktual’Ni
Problemi
Pravoznavstva,
https://doi.org/10.35774/app2021.02.107
1(2),
107–115.
San Mateo Municipal College
Appendix “A”: Survey Questionnaire
NAME:
________________________________________________
(Optional)
Direction: Please respond to the following question by placing a check
mark (√) in the answer box that corresponds to your response.
A. Profile of the Respondents.
B. SEX:
C. AGE: ________
Guide Questions
1. What is cancel culture as defined by the respondents?
1.1 How would you define Cancel Culture?
1.2 What do you think are the common reasons why people cancel
other people on Social Media?
1.3 What do you think are the positive and negative implications of
Cancel Culture?
2. What are the experiences of the respondents canceled in social media?
2.1 What Social Media content led you to experience Cancel
Culture?
2.2 Describe the things that other people say to you when you get
cancel on Social Media?
2.3 What was your reaction upon experiencing Cancel Culture?
2.4. What did you feel when you got canceled?
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San Mateo Municipal College
3. How does the Cancel Culture experiences contribute to the
development of Social Media Anxiety??
3.1. How will you compare the difference in your behavior before and
after experiencing Cancel Culture?
3.2. In what specific ways does it affect your lifestyle (Social media
and life)
3.4. What is your stand on the Cancel Culture in Social Media?
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San Mateo Municipal College
Appendix “C”: Informed Consent Form
CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE
Title or Research : Lived Experiences of Cancel Culture and Social
Media Anxiety among Selected Young Adults
Researcher
: Alyana P. Aguilar, Ronalyn Cruz, Angelica Mae
Fernandez, Michaela A. Infante, Catherine E. Rivera,
Ma. Realyn R. Tapat.
School
: San Mateo Municipal College
Adviser
: Mr. John Ray G. Hernandez, LPT, RGC, RPm
Invitation to Particpate
I invite you to be part of a research about Lived Experiences of Cancel
Culture and Social Media Anxiety among Selected Young Adults.
Findings of this study are intended to be published and data obtained from
you will be treated with utmost confidentiality. It is understood that your
participation in this study is a voluntary basis. You may withdraw anytime and
may not answer questions you do not want to answer.
Should you agree to participate, you will be asked to undergo guided
interview.
Consent
I agree to participate in this research
Printed name:___________________________________________
Signature: _____________________ Date:__________________
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San Mateo Municipal College
Bionote
Michaela A. Infante was born in San Mateo, Rizal on
September 18, 2000 and a fourth year student taking
Bachelor of Science and Psychology in San Mateo
Municipal College, She also currently serves as a Council
of the Local Youth Development Office of the Municipality
of San Mateo Rizal, which oversees the area of active
participation, and has been a member of the Theater of
Love's media documentation team for seven years. She has consistently
excelled, earning honors from kindergarten through senior high school. She
has also volunteered for a number of government and religious programs and
aspires to work in the health sector to assist those in need.
Michaela A. Infante
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San Mateo Municipal College
Ronalyn Cruz was born at San Mateo Rizal on May 2,
1996 an oldest among five children She Graduated in
Alternative Learning System on June 2015 and continued
to dream higher while working on a BPO company as call
specialist assistant and now She’s 27 years old and a 4th
Year college Student taking Batchelor of Science in Psychology at San Mateo
Municipal College, planning to work abroad to help her family needs
Ronalyn Cruz
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San Mateo Municipal College
On December 17, 2000, Catherine Rivera was born in
Marikina City. a San Mateo Municipal College
psychology student in her fourth year. By working and
going to school while she was 19, she developed time
management skills. She obtained her humanities and
social science foundation at ICCT Colleges after
completing her senior year of high school before
enrolling in psychology. After graduating, Ms Rivera plans to pursue a career
in psychology.
Catherine E. Rivera
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San Mateo Municipal College
Ma. Realyn R. Tapat is a second born child from
Rodriguez, Rizal on the 29th of November, 2000. She is a
proud product of a pure public education from her primary
to college years. In her junior high school years, she
participated in various school competitions, mostly related
with science and mathematics. She also joined as a
committee member of the student government of her
school in their locale. She then completed her junior years with honor.
Currently, she is on her 4th year taking Bachelor of Science in Psychology at
San Mateo Municipal College.
Ma. Realyn R. Tapat
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San Mateo Municipal College
Alyanna Marie Aguilar, born on November 6, 1995 in
Capitol Medical Center place of Quezon City. She is 27
years of age. She went to Polytechnic University of the
Philippines but only for one year and she decided to
stopped studying to work at the age of 18. She worked at
convenience store for 4 years and got promoted as Shift
Supervisor at the age of 22 and now she decided to
continue her study. She is a Fourth year student taking Bachelor of Science in
Psychology at San Mateo Municipal College and she wants to pursue the field
of psychology once graduated.
Alyanna Marie P. Aguilar
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San Mateo Municipal College
Angelica Mae Fernandez was born in Caloocan City on
December 20, 2000. During high school, she participated
in a science experiment, and her group emerged as the
winners. She was also fond of joining Spoken Word
Poetry and Declamation competitions, and she loved
participating in outgoing activities at school. Currently,
she is a fourth-year student studying Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She
is currently volunteering at Brave Rescue in San Mateo, Rizal, and she is also
a member of the Theater of Love group. She enjoys participating in various
activities such as rescue teams and first aid. Now, she is a fourth-year student
at San Mateo Municipal College.
Angelica Mae Fernandez
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