20 Times Things Deserved To Be Shamed

Have you ever seen something on social media that immediately made you want to screenshot it and send it to your friends to judge? Of course you have! There are some questionable things online! But if your friends are too respectful to shame screenshots from the internet or you don’t want to constantly bombard them with cringey photos you’ve come across, this Facebook group might be everything you’ve ever dreamed of. That’s It, I’m Bored And Shaming Everything 2.0 makes it clear that it’s a “group for shaming,” but it’s not intended to hurt anyone’s feelings. 

“We have fun here, post if you want your feelings wrecked,” the group’s about section warns. And clearly, many people do want to get wrecked, as the community has amassed an impressive 59k members since its creation in November, 2020. The group is still going strong, with 534 new members in the past week, 642 new posts in the last month and no shortage of hilarious content. But to ensure that the community doesn’t get too rowdy, the admins and moderators have some ground rules in place.  

To keep the shaming from getting too out of control and ensure that the community’s posts are all in good fun, That’s It, I’m Bored and Shaming Everything 2.0 doesn’t allow anyone under 18 to join, doesn’t allow political discussions or mentions of hot topics, doesn’t allow any racism, sexism, transphobia, ableism or other forms of discrimination, doesn’t allow any profile digging or doxxing and requires that faces and names are blocked out when posts include real people. 

Admins and moderators have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to rule breaking, and they remind group members that this is a shaming group. “Post at your own risk,” they warn. As long as the guidelines are followed, group members are free to roast those ugly Crocs they saw advertised on Instagram, that atrocious baby name they noticed posted on Facebook and that nail art that closely resembles a dog’s vomit. 

Before we dive too deep into the idea of shaming others online, let’s address the fact that by no means do we condone bullying. There is a difference between screenshotting a dress on Balenciaga’s website that you can’t believe is actually being sold and sending hateful, targeted messages to individuals. This shaming group features anonymous posts and doesn’t make anything personal. But when it comes to why we find so much joy in shaming things and others online, apparently, research says finding pleasure in other people’s pain is an “intrinsic personality trait.” Perhaps groups like this are just a version of schadenfreude that we just can’t resist.   

Some hypothesize that online shaming groups also give us a much needed distraction from what’s actually going on in the world. Blair Glaser wrote a piece for Greatist in 2020 examining this topic, where she notes that shaming can be satisfying and feels better than acknowledging that very little in life is in our control. If we divert our attention away from ourselves and instead focus it on judging others, perhaps we can bask in that feeling of superiority and ignore the issues in our own lives. 

While not everyone is on board with groups that poke fun at others, Kara Alaimo wrote an op-ed for Bloomberg arguing that social-media shaming is actually good, in moderation. It can function as a way to hold others accountable and call out bad behavior, from companies or individuals. When we all agree that naming your child Pikachu deserves to be shamed, perhaps more parents will decide to give their children names that won’t lead to them being bullied their entire lives. And while groups like That’s It, I’m Bored And Shaming Everything 2.0 are more lighthearted than tweets calling out politicians for inappropriate behavior, in both cases, the posts are either harmless, or possibly even beneficial.   

When it comes to shaming groups specifically on Facebook, James Greig wrote a piece for Metro UK discussing exactly why we can’t get enough of these communities. From wedding shaming to dress shaming to home shaming to food shaming, there’s no shortage of things to hate online. As far as why we love these groups, Christopher Hand, a psychologist at Glasgow Caledonian University, told Metro, “It could be a form of catharsis where you’re really upset by something that’s happened, and you get this release by going online to vent about it.”

“It’s also about the idea of community – you’ve got like-minded people giving you validation for your opinion, people backing you up and agreeing with you,” Hand continued. “I don’t think you can underestimate that. It’s a way for people to form a network and make themselves feel better.”