It’s hard to be angry all the time, believe me. When we as a society are chronically online, it’s easy to get all wrapped up in who said what and cancel culture as a whole. But at a certain point, it’s the liberals who end up causing society to regress when we struggle to focus on the big picture. 

To start, there was a recent backlash against actress Candace Cameron Bure, who remarked on her support of “traditional marriage.” While I in no way support her homophobic views, she is at most a C-list actress who is best known for her role as D.J. Tanner in “Full House”. Why, I wonder, is this dominating the media? Bure is an irrelevant actress who has been openly conservative for years; it’s no shock that she is homophobic. It’s not like she’s running for president. This is our signal to focus on much more important problems at hand. If people really want to focus on LGBTQ+ issues, they should maybe pay attention to the important senate bill that just passed to protect same-sex marriage–not canceling some random homophobe. Attacking people who are never going to change is pointless, and gives the left a terrible look that rewards the nickname: “snowflakes.”

Why is there so much pressure put on celebrities for social change? For example, during the heat of the Black Lives Matter Movement, activists online bullied TikTok star Charli D’Amelio for not “speaking out.” While yes, it is nice to see our favorite celebrities advocate for change, pressuring a 17-year-old social media star to speak about something way out of her realm ends up being performative. So, when D’Amelio eventually does come out with a disingenuous video about social justice for fear of being run off the internet, it’s not out of passion–but rather from fear of fake angry activists attacking her online. If inauthentic activists in comment sections put that energy into the polls, the world would be a better place. 

People can get so consumed in a “woke” internet bubble that they don’t even realize that the things they are advocating for are entirely unrealistic. For instance, there is an impending pressure on consumers to buy “sustainable” clothing and get rid of fast fashion. Oh, how I wish it could be as simple as that. Sure, if it’s Bella Hadid who has millions of dollars, I would be pretty disappointed if I saw her dressed head-to-toe in Shein or Forever 21 clothing. But when I am looking for a one-time sparkly top for a Harry Styles concert, you better believe I am going straight to Amazon. Maybe before we drop these huge expectations on consumers, we should be holding accountable the corporations who create these impossible standards or realize that the iPhones that we spew hate from aren’t ethically sourced themselves. 

In general, when we as a society get so agitated over ridiculous minuscule things, it makes it so difficult to progress if we are only focusing on the nooks and crannies. Would I love to rid every homophobe of the internet? Yes. Do I wish that every item in my closet was ethically made? Of course. But when so much time is concentrated on these issues because they’re more entertaining to debate, how will real change be made? So please, let’s stop the whining and engage in real issues.