Influencers, Politicians Turned School Banter into 'Hate Incident,' Professor Claims

Canadian York University associate professor Shen Rong-chin has criticized politician Chan Chiang-tsun and online influencer Cheap for transforming a simple school event into a social incident fueled by manufactured hatred. Shen argues that Chan and Cheap instigated the conflict to gain attention and personal benefit, while students and the school bore the consequences.

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Due to the intervention of Chan Chiang-tsun and the internet celebrity Cheap, an ordinary campus affair has become a social incident that creates hatred.

The controversy began when a student at Wuling High School jokingly referred to Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng as "Mayor of Xindian" during the mayor's graduation ceremony speech. While the school and the mayor initially dismissed it as youthful banter, Chan Chiang-tsun publicly criticized the student. Influencer Cheap then amplified the issue, allegedly threatening the school to withdraw student awards if artwork did not align with his ideology.

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He questions whether those who create incidents and gain attention are Chan Chiang-tsun and Cheap, while the ones paying the price are the students who are doxxed, the school under pressure, and Wuling High School's reputation.

Shen Rong-chin contends that the core problem lies not with the students, the school, or the mayor, but with external political figures and influencers who exploit such situations for their own agendas. He specifically calls out Chan Chiang-tsun for his harsh criticism of the student and Cheap for his "bloodthirsty" attacks on the student and school, accusing them of ignoring the instigator, Chan.

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The real problem is not the student, not the school, and not Mayor Chang San-cheng. The situation deteriorated with the intervention of political figures and was amplified by influencers focused on traffic, turning a simple campus affair into a social incident that creates hatred.

Shen believes Chan seeks political attention, potentially aiming for a party leadership role, while Cheap aims to generate online traffic by creating division. He argues that these individuals profit from manufactured outrage, while the students face online harassment (doxxing), the school endures pressure, and Wuling High School's reputation suffers. Shen concludes that Chan and Cheap are unfit to discuss school reputation or morality, as their actions are driven by self-interest and the creation of antagonism.

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Chan Chiang-tsun, a politician who blames his poor English on a middle school teacher's attire that made him fantasize, suddenly transformed into a campus police officer, severely punishing the students of Wuling High School.