The Hidden Cost of Public Shame: Who's Really Profiting?

Dr. Eleanor Vance · 2026-10-11

Have you ever stopped to think about how much money is made from other people's embarrassment? It sounds like a strange question, but it's one worth asking. Social media platforms and corporations have turned public shame into a booming business, and we're all part of it—whether we realize it or not. On a recent episode of *Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life*, host Jack Russell Weinstein sat down with data scientist and author Cathy O'Neil to dig into this uncomfortable truth. They talked about online humiliation, consumer manipulation, and the ethics of exploiting human insecurities. It's a conversation that will make you rethink every like, share, and comment you've ever made. ### The Business of Humiliation Let's face it: shame sells. When someone messes up in public—whether it's a celebrity, a politician, or just an ordinary person caught on camera—the internet pounces. And while we're busy pointing fingers, someone else is cashing in. - Social media algorithms prioritize outrage and embarrassment because they keep us engaged. - Advertisers pay top dollar to place their products next to viral content, even if that content is toxic. - Corporations use our fear of being shamed to sell us everything from beauty products to security software. Cathy O'Neil, who wrote *Weapons of Math Destruction*, explains that this isn't an accident. It's a deliberate strategy. The more insecure we feel, the more likely we are to buy things that promise to fix us. And the cycle never ends. ### Why We Can't Look Away So why do we participate? Part of it is human nature. We're wired to pay attention to social threats—it's an evolutionary survival mechanism. But the internet amplifies that instinct to a dangerous degree. When we see someone being publicly humiliated, we can't help but watch. And when we watch, we're feeding the machine. But there's another layer: we're afraid it could happen to us. So we join in, hoping to deflect attention. It's a vicious cycle, and it's making a lot of people very rich. ### The Ethics of Exploitation Is it immoral for companies to profit from shame? O'Neil argues that it's not just immoral—it's dangerous. When shame becomes a commodity, it erodes trust, fuels polarization, and leaves real people hurt. The targets of online humiliation often suffer lasting psychological damage, while the platforms wash their hands of responsibility. > "We've created an economy where humiliation is a feature, not a bug," O'Neil says. "And we're all complicit." That's a tough pill to swallow. But recognizing the problem is the first step toward changing it. ### What Can We Do? It's easy to feel powerless, but we're not. Here are a few ways to push back: - Think before you share. Ask yourself: does this content add value, or is it just feeding the outrage machine? - Support platforms and creators that prioritize empathy over engagement. - Call out exploitation when you see it, and demand better from the companies that profit from our insecurities. We can't opt out of the internet entirely, but we can choose how we participate. And that choice matters more than we think. So the next time you see a viral shaming thread, remember: someone is making money off that moment. The question is, do you want to be part of the problem or part of the solution?