By Emi Gruender
The internet’s general consensus on Youtubers and YouTube in general is that the streaming platform has been taking a nosedive ever since the rise of cancel culture. From Logan Paul’s infamous forest video, to the more recent fiasco involving Colleen Ballinger, more and more issues have been coming to light about the character of these online personalities— and it seems as if no youtuber has truly escaped the drama that is YouTube culture. Though the victims of cancel culture vary widely based on individual circumstance, it seems as if no matter how small the infraction, either Twitter or Youtube clings onto every transgression to cancel yet another person.
That isn’t to say that many of these personalities are not at fault. The public shaming of stars like David Dobrik, Logan Paul, SSSniperwolf, and Colleen Ballinger all seem to be deserved– their unacceptable actions bred aggressive backlash, as they should. However, I’ve noticed that cancel culture can be increasingly unforgiving to online personalities— as if the mob mentality suddenly forgets that behind the screen, these people are human, too.
One of the examples I’d like to mention is “Tommy Innit,” a streamer and Youtuber from Brighton who gained his fame over the pandemic, and recently became a legal adult. Though his fanbase is mainly comprised of teenagers like himself, they can switch between love and condemnation in the blink of an eye. There was incessant, inordinate amounts of drama, what with Twitter— excuse me, X— stans picking apart his words and reactions, all the while forgetting that Tom Simons, despite his living in the limelight, is a kid as well.
No matter how much research you do, how much content you see, how many opinions have been shoved in your face, making a final judgment that is truly unbiased is near impossible. Despite how confident you might feel on the subject matter, there are always hidden pieces of information and missing pieces to the puzzle that might just change the image entirely. Some argue that cancel culture is a way to grant a voice to the people— but mob mentality still forms, despite physical separation. Your opinions may not even be your own anymore— they might have been transplanted from public pressure. Online personalities have, no doubt, done awful things. Many claims are backed up with irrefutable heaps of information that expose the concerning actions of these figures. While I support the public condemnations of their actions, I maintain that it is very important not to blow issues out of proportion. An honest mistake often deserves forgiveness, while purposefully malicious actions deserve condemnation. In this age of scrutiny, we all must remember that behind those screens are real people, too.