Algospeak, Safetyism, and Cancel Culture: Keep Yourself Safe

[DISCLAIMER]

The topic of suicide is a somewhat delicate subject, as the American Psychological Association simply defines this term as “the act of intentionally taking one’s own life.” Therefore, over the past decade or so, people online have subversively found ways to discuss it, as one source states:

Algospeak, also known as Voldemorting or Slang Replacement, is a term that refers to the replacement of keywords and phrases deemed NSFW or not brand-safe according to social media algorithms on platforms like TikTok, Twitch, Instagram and YouTube, among others, as well as online games.

The term is a portmanteau of the words “algorithm” and “speak.” The history of algospeak dates back to examples like unalive, which function as a way to write banned and censored words or topics without fear of demonetization or removal.

Many examples use symbols and emojis to replace letters and words or simple alternate spellings and phrases. In 2022, the term became more widely known due to the necessity of the practice for marginalized communities as chat and word filters became prevalent online.

For anyone who’s spent more than relatively five minutes online in the edgier sections of the Internet (i.e., Kiwi Farms, 4chan, etc.), one may be familiar with taunts for people to “unalive” themselves. Regarding this matter, one source states:

Kill Yourself, also known in plural as Kill Yourselves, is phrase that is commonly used in online discussions in response to incompetent and/or pathetic remarks, statements, or images, with the purpose of telling those who it is directed at that they [absolutely] should just kill themselves for having said or done something so pathetic.

In response to overt expressions of calling for suicide (e.g., go kill yourself) and covert, algospeak utterances (e.g., self-delete), there’s been a push for online safety protocols for the past decade or so. Concerning this topic, one source states:

Safetyism is an approach to policy that seeks to prioritize feelings of safety. According to Haidt and Lukianoff, this comes at the cost of academic intellectual rigor, open debate, and free expression of ideas.

Safetyism seeks to regulate some speech or intellectual environments by minimizing the array of ideas or beliefs that make some or most people in that environment feel uncomfortable. The Coddling of the American Mind describes a rise in this approach within higher education in the United States [U.S.].

Safetyism is also considered an ideology that places self-perceived safety, especially the feeling of being protected from disagreeable ideas and information, above all other concerns. It is based on the belief that it is harmful to experience uncomfortable emotions. Compared to prior generations, one of the main differences is the belief that the world should not be organized according to what is right or wrong but according to what is safe or unsafe.

The term was coined by Pamela Paresky and promulgated by The Coddling of the American Mind, which described its status as “a sacred value”, meaning that it was not possible to make practical tradeoffs or compromises with other desirable things (e.g., for people to be made to feel uncomfortable in support of free speech or learning new ideas).

Lukianoff and Haidt say that underneath safetyism lie three core beliefs:

·  that most people are not psychologically resilient,

·  that emotional reasoning (e.g., “I feel lonely; therefore I am unlovable”) produces valid, accurate understanding of events and the world, and

·  that the world operates in an us versus them manner, particularly in the form of identity politics.

There are three matters of clarification which I think may be useful in regard to the aforementioned source. The first regards the terms “feelings” and “feel.”

A “feeling” relates to either: 1. Emotion (i.e., joy, fear, anger, sorrow, disgust, surprise, etc.) or 2. Sensation (e.g., tightened or stiffened jaw). If the word “feel” (or any derivative thereof) can be replaced with “hunch,” “thought,” or “belief” (or any derivative thereof), then it’s not a feeling.

Thus, it’s improper to say something along the lines of “I feel unsafe,” because what one typically intends on communicating is “I believe that I’m unsafe.” Noteworthy, there’s a rational foundation for quibbling with such rhetorical misuse. This brings me to my second point.

When providing care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), I encourage people to take personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”) for their own outcomes. This is particularly important regarding unproductive safetyism.

This brings me to the final point of clarification regarding the aforementioned source. Safetyism isn’t strictly confined to the halls of academia, because it permeates the Internet and across global borders. For instance, conservative political commentator Mark Levin recently stated:

Where does free speech end—and real danger begin? […] I walk through how the First Amendment has been interpreted over time—especially with changes introduced by the courts that expanded protections for speech, even when it’s offensive or extreme.

But here’s the real issue: not all speech is equal. We already limit certain types—whether it’s commercial speech, explicit content, or harmful material—and yet when it comes to rhetoric that can inflame or incite real-world harm, the standards become murky. I raise the question: what happens when speech crosses into something more dangerous—and who decides?

This isn’t about silencing debate—it’s about understanding responsibility in a free society. Because if we can’t define the line, we risk either losing our freedoms—or allowing them to be abused in ways that damage the country itself.

My subjective view is that Levin ostensibly masks his rejection of personal ownership and advocates a nanny state (a view that a government or its policies are overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice). This seems like cancel culture, about which one source states:

Cancel culture, also called call-out culture, is a cultural phenomenon and a form of freedom of association where people criticize or disassociate from an individual who is thought to have acted or spoken in an unacceptable manner. It usually includes calls over social media for the target to be ostracized, boycotted, shunned or fired.

This shunning may extend to social or professional circles— whether on social media or in person— with most high-profile incidents involving those with influence in media or politics. More generally, cancel culture includes changes in who one honors, such as the removal of monuments from a public square, removing books from school curricula, changing place names, etc.

Such subjects are said to have been “canceled”. While the careers of some public figures have been impacted by boycotts— widely described as “cancellation”— others who have complained of cancellation successfully continued their careers.

The term “cancel culture” came into circulation in 2018 and has mostly negative connotations. Some critics argue that cancel culture has a chilling effect on public discourse, that it is unproductive, that it does not bring real social change, that it causes intolerance, that it amounts to cyberbullying, or that it contributes to political polarization.

Others argue that the term is used to attack efforts to promote accountability or give disenfranchised people a voice, and to attack language that is itself free speech. Still others question whether cancel culture is an actual phenomenon, arguing that boycotting existed long before the origin of the term “cancel culture”.

Apparently, Levin is using a cancel culture tactic that favors censorship (the institution, system, or practice of censoring—to examine in order to suppress, or delete anything considered objectionable). For context, Levin has also stated:

The violence that is being preached on different broadcast platforms, by different politicians, largely – not exclusively, largely – Democrats, largely leftists, Marxists, Islamists; although, we have the woke Reich—R-E-I-C-H—is horrendous! And I believe it’s really, really adding fuel to the fire of hate out there, and making it very, very difficult for a free people to even have a discussion about what they want, and how they want it, and so forth.

And so, it’s not the first time things like this have happened, but it really is problematic, because so much of it [speech] is protected. And you heard people say, “Don’t you believe in the First Amendment?” They don’t even know what the First Amendment believes… “Uh, do you wanna de-platform people? You know, the libs do that!”

I don’t have any problem with de-platforming Nazis or jihadis. I don’t have any problem with de-platforming them. What does that mean, de-platforming them, a government law? No! It means that X or Twitter, or Facebook, or Amazon, or Twitch, and so forth says, “You know what? You’re a lowlife. You know? Get off our platform!”

What’s wrong with that? It’s called “private enterprise,” I got no problem with that. I mean, what if they have this horrific pornography on, is that okay? No, it’s not okay! What if they have a bunch of drug addicts, you know, shooting up all the time, is that okay? No, that’s not okay!

Because our kids have access to it, people who are impressionable have access to it. What if they have people screaming at the top of the lungs, saying, “Assassinate this guy, and assassinate that guy”? “Well, they shouldn’t do that.” Why!? What’s the standard? You need to have a standard. What should the law be? What’s the Constitution say?

I just think we’ve taken this too far, ‘cause we’re not even talking about political speech—which is the most protected of all speech. We do limit speech. We limit speech, pornography. We limit speech, cigarettes from the air, and so forth. We limit speech, booze. We limit speech, drugs. And I could go on, and on, and on, and on.

I have little doubt that Levin could indeed “go on, and on, and on, and on.” His ad hominem attacks (e.g., woke Reich), global evaluations (e.g., lowlife), and exaggerated hypotheticals (e.g., what if they have a bunch of drug addicts, you know, shooting up all the time) verify that!

Of course, Levin also uses awfulizing (e.g., horrific), an appeal to emotion (e.g., our kids have access to it, people who are impressionable), demandingness (e.g., they shouldn’t do that), and justification (I just think we’ve taken this too far) when ostensibly pleading for censorship.

Succinctly, the conservative political commentator appears to have made an argument in support of cancel culture, endorsing safetyism, which is irrational (not in accordance with both logic and reason). One presumes that if Levin had it his way, there’d be a lot more algospeak in use.

This is because people find methods of subverting tyrannical systems of oppression—such as that Levin seemingly supports, even when “private enterprise” is the means of censorship. This is why algospeak terms such as “unalive” and “self-delete” are used on social media platforms.

In essence, tyranny is largely ineffective. Aside from the aforementioned words which regard homicide (a killing of one human being by another) or suicide, there’s another popular algospeak term used for “suicide.” I was informed of this one by a friend’s child.

According to one source, saying “keep yourself safe” is used “in order to inform someone to ‘kill themselves’ without receiving any consequences from using the harsh term since both phrases are long for ‘KYS’ [kill yourself].” People will find a way to freely express themselves!

Other algospeak terms include, though aren’t limited to, “grape” in place of rape, “S.A.” for sexual assault, “spicy” for explicit content, “pdf file” for pedophile, and so on. Because I’m a grown-ass man with a functioning brain and operative mind, I tend not to advocate these terms.

Moreover, unlike what Levin outwardly fails to understand, I maintain that people can take personal ownership for their own outcomes. There’s no need for algospeak, safetyism, or cancel culture! Thus, if you decide to “keep yourself safe,” then that’s on you, not the rest of society.

This is true even in a literal instance, not only the “KYS” sense. Safety is the condition of being safe (free from harm or risk) from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss. Although we don’t live in a safe world, your safety is an iss-YOU (i.e., your issue), not an iss-ME (i.e., my issue).

For those, apparently like Levin, who wish to trample rights of others in favor of a Helen Lovejoy view, as it relates to a “think of the children” standard, I reject appeals to emotion. If kids are potentially at risk of being harmed online, then that’s a matter of caregiver ownership.

This means that if little Johnny or little Janie are telling people to “unalive” themselves, or are being told “keep yourself safe,” then the rest of the global population doesn’t have to lose our inalienable right to free expression—though many of you already reside in tyrannical nations.

Perhaps you think it’s odd that a professional practitioner of mental health care would take the stance I’ve advocated thus far. This is comprehensible, being that so many clinicians within the mental health field assume a Levin-esque position on free speech (i.e., weak as fuck!).

That is to say they have little (if any) interstitial fortitude (i.e., guts)—the moral and ethical conviction to advocate personal versus collective ownership. In this sense, as I see it, many of my esteemed colleagues have weak constitutions, as they don’t support the U.S. Constitution.

Rather than placing responsibility and accountability squarely on the proverbial shoulders of individual adults or caregivers of children, many mental health care providers advocate a nanny state, as apparently does Levin. When thinking further about this matter, I’m reminded of a book.

As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

What would you be willing to do in support of free speech? Algospeak isn’t the solution. Safetyism isn’t either. Cancel culture is arguably the antithesis of advocacy for free expression. So, what would you do? Of this consideration, I now turn to a quote from Seneca (page 292):

Being unexpected adds to the weight of a disaster, and being a surprise has never failed to increase a person’s pain. For that reason, nothing should ever be unexpected by us.

Our minds should be sent out in advance to all things and we shouldn’t just consider the normal course of things, but what could actually happen. For is there anything in life that Fortune won’t knock off its high horse if it pleases her?

In this quote, Seneca uses what are known in REBT as recommendatory should beliefs—flexible demands which serve as a form of advice regarding a decision or course of conduct. As an example, you recommendatorily shouldn’t engage in cancel culture, if you value free speech.

Nonetheless, I suspect Levin would argue regarding this proposition, “What’s wrong with that? It’s called ‘private enterprise,’ I got no problem with that.” Therefore, with my belief about a malleable recommendation being ignored, I may experience healthy distress (e.g., annoyance).

If I used an inflexible conditional should belief, rigidly demanding that either people who value free speech stop engaging in cancel culture, or I’m going to use the force doctrine by contacting authorities to apprehend violators, then I’d experience unhealthy disturbance (e.g., rage).

Which type of belief might Levin be using – rational (leading to healthy distress) or irrational (leading to unhealthy disturbance) – when ostensibly crashing out on his show by literally yelling about so-called antisemitism? I think the answer’s obvious. Now, I return to Seneca’s quote.

I argue that the “weight of a disaster” isn’t influenced more by the unexpected nature of an event, though more by one’s irrational beliefs regarding the undesirable situation. Thus, if “nothing [recommendatorily] should ever be unexpected by us,” then one may expect the unexpected.

For instance, is person X shares an antisemitic viewpoint online, then person Y who expected the unexpected, and who doesn’t appreciate antisemitism, won’t be likely to self-disturb with use of irrational beliefs. Rather, person Y may simply self-distress. This is a healthy outcome.

Pressing further, person Y could achieve Stoic indifference by concluding, “Disturbance and distress aren’t options, because I maintain an unwavering principle of free speech.” Per Seneca, “we shouldn’t just consider the normal course of things, but what could actually happen.”

“People will say things which I find objectionable,” person Y may believe, “so I consider that it’s a normal course of things – what could actually happen – for antisemitic and other viewpoints to be encountered in life.” This is a health perspective.

Of course, each of us has options. You can take the cowardly approach by using algospeak. You can also advocate safetyism so that others will join in acts of cowardice by self-censoring. You can even outright campaign for cancel culture, as Levin appears to have done.

In the literal sense, is that a way to “keep yourself safe” in a rationally-expected unsafe world? No, it isn’t. This is because you have zero guarantees for safety, and that’s as it empirically must be in an impermanent and uncertain world in which imperfection actually is ever-present.

Thus, as ostensibly stated by Seneca, I invite you to expect the unexpected – even content online that you find objectionable. Take personal ownership of your outcome rather than trying to pad the world for safety, all while creating a tyrannically oppressive experience for everyone else.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit, Designed by Magnific, fair use

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Hollings, D. (2025, November 16). Mental health, mental illness, and mental disorder. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/mental-health-mental-illness-and-mental-disorder

Hollings, D. (2023, October 2). Morals and ethics. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/morals-and-ethics

Hollings, D. (2024, January 9). Normal vs. healthy. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/normal-vs-healthy

Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings

Hollings, D. (2025, March 5). Pain. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/pain

Hollings, D. (2023, December 25). Perception isn’t reality. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/perception-isn-t-reality

Hollings, D. (2022, November 7). Personal ownership. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/personal-ownership

Hollings, D. (2025, September 9). Personal responsibility and accountability. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/personal-responsibility-and-accountability

Hollings, D. (2024, July 10). Preferential should beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/preferential-should-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2024, May 26). Principles. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/principles

Hollings, D. (2024, May 5). Psychotherapist. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapist

Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt

Hollings, D. (2025, August 13). Rational versus irrational thoughts and beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-versus-irrational-thoughts-and-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2024, January 1). Rational vs. irrational. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-vs-irrational

Hollings, D. (2026, February 16). Reasoned choice: Someone there is dying. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/reasoned-choice-someone-there-is-dying

Hollings, D. (2024, December 5). Reasoning. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/reasoning

Hollings, D. (2024, March 14). REBT and emotions. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rebt-and-emotions

Hollings, D. (2024, July 10). Recommendatory should beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/recommendatory-should-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2024, January 20). Reliability vs. validity. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/reliability-vs-validity

Hollings, D. (2024, May 8). Resilience. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/resilience

Hollings, D. (2022, June 27). Rigid terms of service. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rigid-terms-of-service

Hollings, D. (2024, January 4). Rigid vs. rigorous. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rigid-vs-rigorous

Hollings, D. (2024, April 1). Safetyism. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/safetyism

Hollings, D. (2025, January 6). Self-downing. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-downing

Hollings, D. (2024, April 21). Sensation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/sensation

Hollings, D. (2024, March 24). Smartphone and social media addiction. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/smartphone-and-social-media-addiction

Hollings, D. (2025, December 24). Some people advocate walking. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/some-people-advocate-walking

Hollings, D. (2024, April 21). Stoicism. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/stoicism

Hollings, D. (2025, June 11). Stop the violence. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/stop-the-violence

Hollings, D. (2025, October 27). Suicide and suicide attempts: Jumping out the window. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/suicide-and-suicide-attempts-jumping-out-the-window

Hollings, D. (2025, October 19). Surprise and embarrassment. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/surprise-and-embarrassment

Hollings, D. (2023, April 9). The advice that never was. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-advice-that-never-was

Hollings, D. (2025, December 21). The awful, very bad, horrible, terrible, no good, unacceptable elements of life. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-awful-very-bad-horrible-terrible-no-good-unacceptable-elements-of-life

Hollings, D. (2025, October 22). The construct. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-construct

Hollings, D. (2026, April 23). The three traditionally identified components of the mind: Affect, cognition, and conation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/ the-three-traditionally-identified-components-of-the-mind-affect-cognition-and-conation

Hollings, D. (2025, February 28). To try is my goal. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/to-try-is-my-goal

Hollings, D. (2025, April 18). Tolerable FAD. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/tolerable-fad

Hollings, D. (2024, June 10). Trade-offs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/trade-offs

Hollings, D. (2025, February 9). Value. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/value

Hollings, D. (2024, November 24). Values. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/values

Hollings, D. (2025, March 11). We live in an imperfect world. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/we-live-in-an-imperfect-world

Hollings, D. (2024, June 7). What if in the opposite direction. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/what-if-in-the-opposite-direction

Hollings, D. (2026, March 8). You are not your beliefs or ideas. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/you-are-not-your-beliefs-or-ideas

Hollings, D. (2026, February 14). You have options. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/you-have-options

Hollings, D. (2025, October 20). You need to stop. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/ you-need-to-stop

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