These days, it seems that it is evermore popular to publicly shame people, either as a punchline for others at that person’s expense, or as a tool to force change from a person or company.
The book, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, by journalist Jon Ronson, is a response to the topic of online shaming whose publishing follows Monica Lewinsky’s March 2015 TED talk in Vancouver, “The Price of Shame”.
Similarly, Jennifer Jacquet has written a book entitled, Is Shame Necessary?: New Uses for an Old Tool, where she discusses the topic from the angle of using shame as a tool to drive social and political change.
Oftentimes, shame is used as a weapon for public shaming, but it can also be used as a tool for social change. Perhaps you should read the synopsis on both books after watching Monica Lewinsky’s TED talk. What are your thoughts on this issue and its effectiveness as a tool for social and political change? Is the punishment in online shaming disproportionate? What are your thoughts on Monica Lewinsky’s talk on her public shaming?
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