Social justice or mob rule? Calling out cancel culture

There’s a fine line between calling out injustices and the mob mentality of online shaming and calling for someone’s head. Helen O’Callaghan explores how the no-holds-barred, anything-goes discourse on social media can harm, and asks how we can stay respectful online.

Eimear Varian Barry is one of Ireland’s original and most successful influencers.

“When I started out on Instagram seven years ago, it was a happy, innocent place. Now social media has some very dark places,” says Eimear Varian Barry, one of Ireland’s original and most successful influencers.

Originally from Cork, UK-based Eimear shares a lot of herself online. She has been open about her anxiety, and about her break-up and subsequent reconciliation with partner Daniel. “I think, as a woman, it’s very important to be open, to speak about the ups and downs of life.”