Books › So You've Been Publicly Shamed
So You've Been Publicly Shamed
336 pages
A wry, deeply empathetic, and quietly terrifying exploration of what happens when the internet decides to destroy your life.
What it feels like
A brisk, conversational plunge into the modern digital pillory, this book reads like a psychological thriller where the villain is our own collective self-righteousness. The narrative moves with an inquisitive energy, guided by a narrator who is equal parts wry, anxious, and radically empathetic. As you read, the initial dark comedy of internet outrage gives way to a creeping, dread-soaked realization about the fragility of reputation and the casual cruelty of the crowd. The prose is highly accessible and self-deprecating, making heavy sociological concepts feel intimate and urgent. It is a perfect read for anyone who has ever felt a twinge of guilt while scrolling through a social media pile-on, offering a deeply humanizing look at the people behind the screen grabs.
- Mood
- unsettling
- tense
- thought-provoking
- darkly comedic
- Tone
- wry
- empathetic
- inquisitive
- anxious
- conversational
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the cruelty of crowds · digital permanence · moral superiority · psychology of outrage · social control
- The writing
- Conversational, self-deprecating, and highly readable, blending investigative journalism with intimate personal reflection.
- The arc
- Moves from curious amusement at internet eccentricities to a profound, lingering unease about collective cruelty.
- Who it's for
- Fascinated observers of internet culture and human psychology who appreciate a blend of dark humor and radical empathy.
Content notes
- cyberbullying
- public humiliation
- suicidal ideation
- mental health struggles
About the book
"From the internationally bestselling author of The Psychopath Test, a captivating and brilliant exploration of one of our world's most overlooked forces. For the past three years, Jon Ronson has been immersing himself in the world of modern-day public shaming-meeting famous shamees, shamers, and bystanders who have been impacted. This is the perfect time for a modern-day Scarlet Letter-a radically empathetic book about public shaming, and about shaming as a form of social control. It has become such a big part of our lives it has begun to feel weird and empty when there isn't anyone to be furious about. Whole careers are being ruined by one mistake. A transgression is revealed. Our collective outrage at it has the force of a hurricane. Then we all quickly forget about it and move on to the next one, and it doesn't cross our minds to wonder if the shamed person is okay or in ruins. What's it doing to them? What's it doing to us? Ronson's book is a powerful, funny, unique, and very humane dispatch from the frontline, in the escalating war on human nature and its flaws"--
"For the past three years, Jon Ronson has been immersing himself in the world of modern-day public shaming--meeting famous shamees, shamers, and bystanders who have been impacted. This is the perfect time for a modern-day Scarlet Letter--a radically empathetic book about public shaming, and about shaming as a form of social control. It has become such a big part of our lives it has begun to feel weird and empty when there isn't anyone to be furious about. Whole careers are being ruined by one mistake. A transgression is revealed. Our collective outrage at it has the force of a hurricane. Then we all quickly forget about it and move on to the next one, and it doesn't cross our minds to wonder if the shamed person is okay or in ruins. What's it doing to them? What's it doing to us?"--
Description from Open Library.
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