SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF CANCEL CULTURE AND COLLECTIVE AGGRESSION ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Abstract

The phenomenon of cancel culture has emerged as a dominant instrument of social sanction in the digital era; however, it frequently culminates in destructive forms of collective aggression. This study aims to examine the psychological mechanisms that drive mass participation in public shaming practices and to evaluate their impact on individuals and the broader digital ecosystem. Employing a library research method with a descriptive qualitative approach, this article systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify social psychological patterns underlying the phenomenon. The findings indicate that cancel culture behavior is driven by a combination of internal and external factors. At the individual level, primary motivations include the need for moral validation, social narcissism, and the practice of virtue signaling. These mechanisms are reinforced by the Online Disinhibition Effect, Moral Self-Licensing, and deindividuation, which reduce psychological restraints and provide moral justification for aggressive behavior in cyberspace. At the group level, Social Identity Theory and peer pressure foster loyalty to the in-group, while social media algorithms create echo chambers that accelerate the escalation of collective moral outrage. The impacts of this phenomenon are multidimensional; targets frequently experience chronic stress, anxiety, and social isolation. Conversely, perpetrators tend to gain moral satisfaction and social validation, although they risk reinforcing black-and-white thinking patterns and heightened aggressiveness. Systemically, cancel culture has the potential to cultivate a culture of self-censorship that erodes deliberative dialogue.