Understanding Online Shaming: Public Outrage in the Digital Age

What Is Online Shaming?

Online shaming is when individuals or groups publicly criticise, embarrass, or humiliate someone on the internet, often through social media, forums, or comment sections. It usually happens when a person’s actions, words, or behaviours—whether real, exaggerated, or misunderstood—are exposed to a wide audience, and people respond with outrage, mockery, or condemnation.

This can take many forms, such as:

• Calling out someone's offensive comment or action.

• Spreading screenshots, videos, or posts to draw public attention.

• Dogpiling, where large numbers of people attack or harass the person online.

• Cancel culture, where there's a push to punish someone socially, professionally, or economically.

While online shaming can sometimes highlight genuine wrongdoing (like racism, abuse, or fraud), it can also become disproportionate, misinformed, or cruel, harming people’s reputations, mental health, or careers—sometimes permanently.

The cause of Online Shaming

Online shaming can happen for several reasons. Often, it starts when someone says or does something considered offensive, such as making racist, sexist, or insensitive remarks. Sometimes, even a misunderstanding or a situation taken out of context can trigger outrage and lead to public backlash.

People can also be shamed for violating social norms, like mistreating animals or behaving rudely in public. When private information, such as conversations or photos, is leaked online, it can quickly become a target for shaming. Public figures like celebrities and politicians are especially vulnerable, as any mistake they make is highly visible and often heavily criticised.

A few common triggers for online shaming include:

• Sharing controversial opinions that clash with widely accepted beliefs.

• Perceived injustice, when someone appears to receive unfair advantages or avoid proper consequences.

In many cases, the speed and wide reach of social media turn even small issues into major public events.

The Impact of Online Shaming

Online shaming can cause a wide range of effects, including:

• Emotional distress: Anxiety, depression, fear, and shame are common reactions.

• Reputational damage: It can permanently harm a person’s or a company’s public image.

• Job loss or career setbacks: Employers may fire or distance themselves from someone who’s been publicly shamed.

• Social isolation: Friends, family, and peers might pull away to avoid being associated.

• Legal consequences: In extreme cases, both the person being shamed and those doing the shaming might face lawsuits (for defamation, harassment, etc.).

• Misinformation spreading: If the shaming is based on false or incomplete information, it can unfairly ruin lives.

• Long-term psychological trauma: Some people experience lasting effects like PTSD.

In short, while it sometimes brings accountability, online shaming often causes serious and lasting harm.

Legal Charges Related to Online Shaming

While online shaming can sometimes bring attention to real problems, it often causes serious harm. It can ruin lives over mistakes, misunderstandings, or even false accusations. People who are shamed may suffer intense emotional distress, including anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Their reputations, careers, relationships, and mental health can be permanently damaged. In many cases, once something goes viral, it’s nearly impossible to fully erase it from the internet, making recovery very difficult.

Sometimes, online shaming turns into mass harassment or cyberbullying, where thousands of people pile on insults, threats, or even doxx someone (sharing private information like home addresses). At that point, it’s no longer just public criticism — it becomes harassment, abuse, and can lead to legal consequences.

Depending on how far the shaming goes, people involved could face legal action, such as:

• Defamation: If someone spreads false information that damages another person's reputation, they can be sued for libel (written defamation) or slander (spoken defamation).

• Harassment and Cyberbullying: Repeated threatening, abusive, or humiliating behaviour online can be considered criminal harassment, depending on the country’s laws.

• Invasion of Privacy: Posting someone’s private information (like their address or phone number) without permission, known as doxxing, can lead to legal penalties.

• Threats and Intimidation: Making threats of violence or harm online can result in criminal charges.

• Emotional Distress Claims: In some places, victims can sue for intentional infliction of emotional distress if the harassment was extreme and deliberate.

Laws vary by country, but many governments are strengthening regulations around cyberharassment and online abuse due to how harmful these incidents can be.

Think Before You Shame Someone Online

Before participating in online shaming, it’s important to pause and think carefully. The internet moves fast, and it’s easy to react emotionally without knowing the full story. Sometimes, information can be incomplete, taken out of context, or even entirely false. Jumping in without understanding the situation can cause real harm to someone who may not deserve it.

Online shaming can have serious, lasting consequences. Even a single post, comment, or share can contribute to ruining someone’s reputation, career, or mental health. It’s not just about calling someone out — it can quickly turn into harassment, mob attacks, or permanent damage that the person can never fully recover from.

Instead of immediately reacting, ask yourself:

• Is the information accurate and complete?

• Am I helping or just adding to the harm?

• Would I say this to someone’s face, knowing the impact it could have?

Practising empathy and responsibility online is important. Not every mistake deserves to be turned into a public spectacle, and real accountability should come with fairness, not cruelty.