The Cauldron

Many people will know the story of Salem. Children coming down with fits and spasms led to a wave of accusations, ending with around 20 people hanged, and many more condemned, for being a witch. The Salem Witch Trials were a series of events that should not have happened, and highlight what happens when you boil down mutual paranoia, and absolute lack of authority and law. Despite witch trials being a thing of the past, and in 2001 the victims of the Salem Witch Trials were cleared of charges, this idea of justice remains prevalent in society today. Most notably in social media. We look to dehumanise and punish those who do wrong our ideas and beliefs.

Jon Ronson looks at this in the excellent So You've Been Publicly Shamed, in the incredible power of groupthink in the lawlessness and swathes of paranoia living within Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Before his book there was very little analysis or even consideration of the problems that arise from this mob mentality. But now there is more and more awareness of the 'witch-hunters', with people becoming more moderating of their own community. Remaining wary of the mob.

I'll take this opportunity to quickly plug the brilliant new Radiohead single Burn The Witch, which appears to make a critique of groupthink.

Despite this increased awareness and understanding of groupthink, very little has actually changed. Much with the awareness of the tragedy of the witch trials, we continued to pursue the mob mentality. By comparison  we still pursue witch-hunts, we desperately look for a victim to dehumanise and punish for their crimes - this time the people warning us against just that. Remember the scientist who landed in hot water, after his probe landed on an asteroid, because he was wearing an inappropriate shirt. He was forced into an apology by the ruthless pursuit of him online. But then something strange happened. The people who were defending him were attacked by his original 'hunters', but some of the original hunters were even attacked by the people defending the scientist. It all resulted in a mess of accustions, with every side condemnable. We might reach progress in society, but we will often fall back on what is instinctively human.