A qualitative research on users engagement and disengagement from celebrities and their perception of cancel culture

Cancel culture has become a prominent aspect of social media, with many users engaging in public shaming aimed at celebrities who have committed perceived transgressions. (Norris, 2021). According to Norris (2021) the term cancel culture refers to the practice of calling for boycotts or other forms of revenge against individuals that are deemed to have violated social norms or values. Cancel culture is often motivated by a desire for justice, but it can also be driven by a desire for power or attention (Mishan, 2020). Previous study conducted by Yousef and Ayari (2022) found that the impact of cancel culture on the relationship between consumers and influencers has a negative impact on the relationship between them, as the majority of consumers' trust and commitment towards the influencers decreased after they are cancelled. Other studies have indicated that users may likely disengage from celebrities who have been embroiled in controversies (Marwick & Boyd, 2014). Research by Saldanha et al. (2022) states that if fans notice lack of warmth and competence in celebrities and if they experience a negative episode with a celebrity, they disengage with them to avoid further emotional distress towards themselves. The current research took a qualitative approach and interviewed 13 participants. The interview explored different topics such as participants engagement and disengagement with Johnny Depp and their perception of cancel culture. It also included questions related to their attachment with the celebrities that hints parasocial interaction with them. The data retrieved from these interviews derived four themes; pro-Johnny Depp fans, for and against cancel culture, complete disengagement due to controversy, those who don’t care about personal lives of celebrities. These themes show how social media users engage and disengage with celebrities online. Aside from this, social media users’ participation in cancel culture is also understood through this research and how their “parasocial connection” is affected with celebrities due to controversies. These elements therefore impact their total engagement and disengagement with Johnny Depp which is the main topic of discussion in this research.