Book Review: So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed

So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed

Jon Ronson (2015)

Digital Tattoo Rating: 5/5

Summary

Who hasn’t participated in a Twitter-based group-shaming? Who hasn’t retweeted a meme making fun of a celebrity who spoke out of turn, or shared a negative post about an individual who said or did something thoughtless and hurtful?

I have. Many times.

History has proven time and time again that shame is a powerful tool, and it is one that today we are very comfortable using in order to achieve our ends. From viral videos to high-traffic think pieces, online society is rife with public shamings. Digital citizens have designated themselves judge, jury, and executioner, but have we been fair guardians of these responsibilities? Perhaps more pressingly, what happens to our victims once the public shaming ends?

Jon Ronson’s So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed is at times funny and at times terrifying, but thoroughly enlightening nonetheless. This book is multiple things at once: a history of the weaponization of shame, a series of examples of individuals who, for various reasons, have been publicly shamed online, and a guide to how to survive these shamings. Ronson does not try to justify the actions of those who have been shamed, as in all cases the actions that provoked these bouts of public humiliation were harmful in some way or another. Rather, Ronson invites us to reconsider how we react to these comments, and whether or not picking up our pitchforks and rallying our fellow digital denizens is an effective way to constructively change our society. Ronson asks us, in funny, light, and poignant prose, where we draw the line between construction and destruction.

So, have you done anything shame-worthy lately? Here’s where to start:

The Top 5; or, How to Survive a Shaming

1. You have said or done something unfortunate, and the Internet has caught wind of it. Apologize sincerely, and demonstrate that you are listening to those whom you have hurt.
2. Avoid defensiveness, even though you will feel defensive.
3. Let family and friends know what has happened. You want them to hear it coming from you, not the Internet.
4. Limit your time online in order to protect your own mental health. Definitely don’t Google yourself for the first little while.
5. After an appropriate period of time has passed, you can begin to artificially improve your online reputation. Start posting positive things to Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, a personal blog, and more. Spend time Googling and clicking on these links. Your goal is to trick search engine algorithms into prioritizing these more positive references to you over the negative. Bear in mind that the worse your blunder was, the harder this will be, but also the more necessary.

So there you have it, folks. Go forth and blunder intelligently. May any shaming you experience be swift and not too severe.

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