The recent Coldplay kiss-cam moment got me thinking. Not so much about the reported incident (there are worse things happening in the world) but about the reaction that followed.
Viral memes, parody videos, fake statements and impersonator accounts, it felt like every digital corner had something to say in mocking tones. It was wild to watch it all unfold. This wasn’t one online joke. It was a public humiliation of epic proportions.
That’s when I found myself thinking again about one of my favourite books: Jon Ronson’s So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed (2015).
The central theme, which I still find intriguing, is when someone’s life has blown up online, have we really stopped to consider the pain that our digital jokes might be causing in the real world? Social media is often quick to justify that kind of attention for public figures. Politicians, athletes and celebrities are usually “fair game.”
The lines get blurry when it involves families, partners or people who never signed up for public life. And then there’s a difference between critique and cruelty. Most people, if they stopped to think about it, would agree that punching down or involving someone’s family is not right. It’s just mean.
And on reflection, it made me uncomfortable… because I had laughed along, too. Some of the memes were funny, satirical and even insightful. But we need to know when it has gone too far.
As professional communicators and brand custodians, we have a responsibility to be better. Otherwise, we risk crossing the line from humour to harassment and harm.