Elitism, cancel culture, & mob mentality on Bookstagram

[@heabooktubes]

Completely agree with y’all. (Also I was so excited for this video and it is even better than I hoped.) I was sent screenshots of the original post and my reaction was “wow, what a bad/weird take” and ya know what? I just kept scrolling. A child had a trash take? Shocking. A 17 year old posted something that should have stayed in their mind? I never. And then they weren’t sorry? Wild. The thing that really bothers me is that a bunch of 30 year old white women are patting themselves on the back for dragging this girl up and down the bookstagram streets when they should have just ignored it. And I’m sorry but you can NOT ignore the power imbalance. If y’all ever catch me publicly feuding with an underage bipoc child, it’s actually time to cancel me. Even if that child was clearly incorrect.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Daaaamn u snapped!!!

[@danaterres4054]

I agree with y'all. It's clear this person isn't ready to process the feedback she's gotten, even when it's constructive. For my own mental health, I've just come to accept that people can be wrong in the Internet and i can move on with my life.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

This was pretty awesome to read, Ty

[@cleverkrowbooks13]

The part of the brain that is responsible for impulse control and judgement is not fully developed until around the age of 25. Paired with a lack of experience on how to be a member of a society on their own, you get posts and actions like this from young people. It happens. We all do stuff like this when we are young. Establish the boundary for them then move on. Appreciated your perspective on this incident, Jesse!

[@nicoswanmakes]

As a consumer of content, following/unfollowing seems to be all I got so it's important to me who, how and when I do that. I just can't anymore with the toxic "you have to be in this box to matter to me"-ish. I was just talking to a friend about how our generation compartmentalizes relationships which helps us be super productive and safe but there is harm in that. I appreciate your opinions. Thank you!

[@jadewaite864]

I'm always late to drama, even in person haha. I didn't see the original post or even people reacting to the post. I look at Facebook posts from over a decade ago and I'm so embarassed. When I look at my early teenage tumblr rants I know I was that angsty and immature, and I am mortifed. I definitely feel like being 17 makes me want to extend a ton of grace and empathy because they're a child. If the apology was it, I would be fine with it. I'm confused with them defending their position after apologizing, that doesn't make sense. I feel like there definitely were some comments that were bullying, I don't think they all were though. Some of the comments y'all read were really tactfully worded call-ins that were not received well. I'm hoping they learn from this chaos.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

^^^

[@OhNoSweetie...]

That doggie prayer was everything!😍seeing that the creator is 17 yo, I sincerely hope she was doing a social experiment assignment about dogpile online behaviors that awarded her an A+

[@JesseOnYoutube]

she is so good at that trick and i'm really proud of her!!!

[@cleg78]

I have been on Bookstagram for four years, I heard of the “post” and I thought it was bloody awful, really bloody awful. I didn’t carry it on and just chose to ignore it. The pictures I take are the ones I take and I love them personally. I always show love to posts and have never been an ass towards anyone. I compliment people’s pictures ALL the time. If people want to tell me what I do is crap then fine, thanks I will take your words in one way and blow them out another. If you are happy with your pictures it will reflect in your picture and that’s all that matters. Any click that is on there in my eyes is beautiful in its own right and like I said I will always comment and enjoy that persons love for whatever they have shared. I would love to talk about books we both love or dislike and just chat for the longest time. I have less than 4’000 followers but for me it is about what I like and what I do. Thank you for bringing this to your platform Jesse, I really appreciate it

[@JesseOnYoutube]

You are extremely welcome 💕

[@chexmixbaby44]

Y'all's point about Chappelle is soooo good. Why are we continuously giving these people attention, when it only gives them fuel for their problematic opinions?? More in reference to Chappelle and JKR, than the teenager, but even then, she's doubling down, as teenagers do, when she's been told she's wrong. She needs time to figure her shit out and continuously poking at her will make her dig her heels in more.

[@b.ham.reads2020]

I think this is so funny hearing this after I just created my own Bookstagram. I have no idea how to make anything "aesthetically pleasing" for the people but I do know how to talk about books. It is interesting, yet crazy that this drama over a 17 yr old girl's post blew up so quickly. I'm with ya'll. People gotta let it go. Let the child grow up.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

“Let the child grow up” literally getting this tattooed. Well said. ALSO WHATS YOUR BOOKSTAGRAM? :) so everyone can follow u including meee

[@b.ham.reads2020]

@@JesseOnKZbin Idk why I'm picturing this quote tat with a child and a balloon. haha But yeah idk if kids know how to be kids anymore...or if people will let them. smh. And my new lil booksta is b.ham.reads 😁

[@chriscze6153]

I'm new to bookstagram, joined end of December, and I don't post high quality pictures. I post in my apartment, with my not amazing cellphone, and I have just under 100 followers. It's a hobby, I like to post my thoughts on books, and that's good enough for me. I'd love some more followers but if it happens - great, if not - also great. People who would tell me to get off the platform don't bother me in the slightest.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

What’s ur booksta? :) also so so glad u aren’t feeling deterred. 💕

[@chriscze6153]

@@JesseOnKZbin I follow y'all:) I'm fantomeofthelibrary

[@andraste6746]

@@chriscze6153 That is one awesome name

[@ShakespeareandSuch]

What’s wild to me is that she felt the need to even make that post in the first place… if you want to curate your booksta feed to be only posed, prop-filled, filtered book photos… follow those accounts. If you don’t mind seeing other miscellaneous posts, then follow whoever. It’s not complicated to me, and it certainly doesn’t need to be advertised. It’s always fascinating to see what drama blows up on the bookternet…

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Yo, absolutely. But (in my opinion, I’m no doctor) it speaks to that poor impulse control/lack of judgement we experience before our adult brains develop. But reading that post as an adult I THOUGHT THE SAME THING 😭 And I also ove what u said about the bookternet and what blows up. Bc yesterday I saw a far more inflammatory post by an author and bookstagram hasn’t said anything. Yet this goes viral. It’s very interesting which is why I like this series where I can analyze this madness 😂😂😂 Long comment but hope all is well!

[@ShakespeareandSuch]

@@JesseOnKZbin so so true, I’m sure 17-year-old me made some BOLD statements as Facebook statuses that I would cringe to look back on (or even still agree with, but would keep to myself and maybe the group chat rather than a public post). You live, you learn 🤪

[@alexreid1173]

I really appreciate how compassionate you were in this. I’ve also posted/said things I didn’t fully think about or that came off worse than I intended. I completely agree that people should be allowed to learn from their mistakes, but it’s their own fault if they’re not willing to do that. I hope this bookstagramer can look back on this in a few years and see things differently

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Thank you and I agree with you 💕

[@Anniepaigespages]

I also think children and younger people see Instagram and social media as a business opportunity. When a lot of us first got Instagram there was no elitism or professional photos, it was just a place to add filters to our photos and share them. Whereas being an influencer and making money from these platforms is now the reason a lot of young people join.

[@beckyduff]

I am one of those Bookstagram accounts - I am terrible with consistency. I have no aesthetic. Half my posts are my Booktube thumbnails, telling people about my latest video. I am in my mid-30s and I can't keep up with all the social media. I always miss the drama. Thanks for another great discussion video! And happy belated birthday.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Ur account sounds amazing. Drop the handle so people can follow u :) also tysm!

[@beckyduff]

@@JesseOnKZbin awe thanks!

[@Lostinabook2518]

this is a big reason why I have not started any videos. I see how harsh people are and my mental health is more important. maybe one day I will put out a video but for now I watch my favorite people like you and read.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

This is so kind. If u ever do want to start that journey, please reach out and will help anyway possible

[@Lostinabook2518]

@@JesseOnKZbin thank you.

[@impastomusic]

First off, y’all’s hair is 🔥 🔥 🔥 More to the point, thanks for talking about this in such a thoughtful and gracious manner! I am not on Insta, but I do enjoy a good sip of tea and a snack on occasion. My perspective? I cut my social media teeth on LiveJournal when I was in college, and I am beyond grateful that I didn’t grow up with Web 2.0. I was there for the rise (and fall, and resurrection) of Cassandra Clare and so much other online drama. These days, I try to remember that fandom (or any online community) is not a monolith, and the importance of curating your own fandom/online experience. I have cultivated quite a happy little corner of the internet and am cheerfully oblivious to most drama, beyond the odd second-hand stuff like we’re talking about here. I don’t have the energy or patience to get more involved! Practically, should this OP have maybe just quietly curated their own feed before ever posting this? Yes. Should people stop piling on in the comments? Also yes. I imagine OP may also be getting even nastier DMs, which is never okay. I’m a bit baffled and very curious about her emphasis on “professional Bookstagrammers only.” I am not a content creator, but I follow a ton with varying audience sizes who are transparent about their journeys and experiences. With today’s digital landscape, there isn’t always a concrete line between ‘professional’ and ‘amateur/hobbyist/side-hustle (?)’ content creators. What is OP’s definition of ‘professional’ - earning profit or being monetized? Earning ENOUGH money to quit other jobs and focus solely on content creation? Number of followers/engagement? As y’all know all too well, every platform has different thresholds for these metrics, they can change over time, and gods forbid a content creator takes a week off, only for the almighty algorithm to be all, “we don’t know her.” Like, a good chunk of the content creators I follow on KZbin are lawyers. A handful are full-time creators with wildly different audience sizes, but most practice law full-time and do YT on the side (because lawyers are Like That TM). One would love for his channels to earn enough to let him quit his criminal defense practice, but only because that would let him continue to do his criminal defense work entirely pro bono. Everyone’s definition of success/professional is different, and not all content creators have the same goals, and that’s awesome! But OP’s reliance on their “But I only mean *these* Bookstagram accounts” is not the defense they think it is. The way they’re doubling down is, however, also very much all of us at 17, so I would only hold their reaction slightly more against them than the original post. Which is to say, still not very much. If I followed them in the first place, I would probably unfollow. I appreciate the comments that quite kindly pointed out the ill-advised nature of the post, but I wouldn’t have added to the comments myself. People will always be silly on the internet, and I don’t have time for it. There are too many good books to read and lawsuits over caterpillar cakes to follow! ❤

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

I didn't even notice it the first time, but after y'all pointed it out, I just can't stop noticing the door in the back there just opening and closing again several times. 👀

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Wait it did it more than once?!

[@jaginaiaelectrizs6341]

@@JesseOnKZbin Yes-it did! 😅😅🙃🤔 😶 Much more slowly and quietly, though. Could just be an old/loose latch, maybe, and natural/shifting air currents moving through the house or something. (?) But I think it coincided at least a time or two with when Akasha would get up and move around and whine, too, if I remember right.

[@bettisbooksandbabblings]

Top notch pupero content 👌if your pup is still anxious around other dogs I've seen a high reward diversion method where you keep a rubber ball with extra good treat (peanut butter, frozen smashed cooked pumpkin) and give the dog the ball at the moment they fixate on other dogs and urge them to disconnect (I do a let's go encouragement). It works for me and it might work for you? Idk, just an idea to try to dissolve the tension the dog gets by seeing other dogs. 🧡

[@isabellabautista6481]

Ya’lls comment about BIPOC content creators getting their mistakes attacked more aggressively than white content creators truly hit the nail on the head for me. Another thing to take into consideration is that these other people who are dragging/bullying this 17 year old BIPOC girl would rather drag her for making this elitist comment rather than acknowledging the internalized elitism that she may be experiencing and that we all have but don’t want to acknowledge in the book community as a whole. From my perspective, who are the girlies who have the most perceived and major influence of the aesthetic TikTok/bookstagram accounts? Typically white cis girls who have the time/wealth to engage and create content respectively. We see that and internalize it into this sort of goal or form of longing for our own future content but, then realize how demoralizing it is when we realize that their reality is not equal to all. That is what I hope she can learn and heal from and that we as a community can grow to accept and shift the narrative away from. Everyone is entitled to how they create their content, share their life, and take advantage of their resources. However, if we truly are aiming to be a community that claims to be allies to our BIPOC/Queer and Trans /disabled book content creators/followers, we have to check our own internalized elitism and how social media does/or does not perpetuate this mindset.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Holy SHIT. 👏🏽🔥🙌🏾

[@AbiofPellinor]

Somehow, despite posting 3x a week on insta, I've missed this. Kinda glad 😅 but also thank y'all for making me aware! Screw all that nonsense 😂

[@Breeski1]

On my bookstagram account I just post a picture of a book with a caption of "this book sucked" or "this one was good, I enjoyed it!" Lol I could not be bothered to put that much work into it. I'm tired. I just want to share my books with my friends lol

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Yesss

[@booksandteatime2197]

Akasha praying omg i’m weak 😂😂😂 always love y’all’s discussion-based videos because they make me think critically!! i really appreciated y’all’s point about the misuse of the term cancel culture! i am super curious about the term “calling in” as well and when to use that instead of “calling out”? is it a newer/better version of “calling out” or is it meant to be used when speaking about BIPOC folks specifically? hope that question makes sense lol

[@JesseOnYoutube]

We need to think about how best to answer this, because reading this we have so many thoughts and it’ll take a second to sift through them :) but really appreciate the love in this response

[@booksandteatime2197]

@@JesseOnKZbin Of course! Also if y’all don’t want to answer/don’t have time to I totally understand! I’m excited to look into it more myself as well 😊

[@alyshaking]

I'm so tired of this type of drama. I hate the idea of cancel culture and the idea that no one is allowed to mess up ever. If someone is continually being a horrible nasty person, sure - dump their ass. But a one off oopsie shouldn't provoke this kind of reaction. People are so quick to get angry etc especially online lately and I can't fathom the amount of negative energy one has to hold onto to be like that constantly. All I can say is thank god none of this existed when I was in highschool because oof - what a freaking mess.

[@caprisbookisland]

Honestly… it’s a literal app where you post pictures. We’re all gonna die one day anyways just do what you want. People are complex and not one dimensional. If they want to talk about other things than books than so be it. If you don’t like that find some more closed off creators to follow. It’s so unrealistic to expect that from people. Aside from the OP being a teenager there are a lot of grown ass adults on bookstagram that feel the same 😂

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Daaaamn go off

[@kiandrarodgers3436]

Jesse thank you for opening up a space to create dialogue around this issue, and protecting the identity of the poster. The issue is definitely wider than a single person, and y’all have created a safe space to discuss it as that - an issue, not a person. I do hope she changes her mind, whoever she is, and that those who are persisting in bullying her now that the moment has passed also come around to being kind (to a child). I think this has been an educational moment for the community as a whole, and as upsetting as this post was, I’m glad the community is addressing the issue

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

Bookstagram is a terrifying place… I refuse to go there 😬

[@JesseOnYoutube]

It’s giving Mordor

[@currant7_recommends]

Belated Happy Birthday 🎉 I enjoyed this video a lot and agree on how you explained cancel culture and the Bookstagram community. I am upset that OP still lashed put when someone commented on the with another thought about Bookstagram accounts. I am not mad but sad that OP didn't see that maybe the post might not be for all, especially for a community that embraces the common love of books. I hope OP is okay, especially if it is confirmed that OP is a 17yo poster. It is an age of cray cray stuff... The harsh comments should die out because even if it was a "wrong post," OP doesn't want to acknowledge this so yes (!) Let us move on and keep our own mental health.

[@brandileigh_thepoet]

I just came across your channel and I love it! I'm a newer, indie author and just am becoming familiar with the Bookstagram. I didn't realize it was such "a thing". I've gone down the rabbit hile now LOL. I joined your IG's. Love your dog -- I have 4! Are your doors always spooky?? 👻

[@JesseOnYoutube]

hi Brandi Leigh!!! welcome

[@brandileigh_thepoet]

Hi@@JesseOnKZbin ! I have three 1/2 basset hounds and 1 full European basset hound. It's a full house! 😆

[@appleoatmeal4634]

Happy Birthdaylove your shows🎉🙋‍♀️

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Thank you so much!!!!!!

[@a5anointed705]

That So Weird throwback was EVERYTHING! The PG version of The X-Files and the best Disney show in my opinion.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

OMG OMG agreed!!! So glad someone got the reference

[@TatyanaVogt]

Ahahaha, the door closing and your response to it had me! Also Im still in the beginning but I agree with you on the harm that kinda stuff can do. Social media is a lot of pressure and i know I always struggle with bookstagram because I dont have the time or energy to fully devote to it and feel like "I cant" at all because of that and posts like that just reinforce this ridiculous idea. If I wasn't afraid of being inconstant I would probably be more constant (Ironically enough) because I'd be posting more out of fun instead of perceived obligation. Gotta say this, LOVE the first couple of comments you read! lol, Although yeah, the fact that the original person being a kid does suck.. Although bullying to anyone at any age is not cool, I just think it sucks for kids learning these lessons so publicly on the internet. A lot of the stupid things I thought or said are not immortalized on the web so I was able to grow and learn without feeling large scale negative opinions regarding my mistakes. (this is a completely different conversation though, soo) Although looks like ya'll are talking about that too! We are on the same pageee! LOL at the book community meeting up to cancel someone. The Visuals are chef's kiss!! lol Also Happy Belated Birthday!! Yoooooo!! Yes the double standards! like as soon as a BIPOC person messes up the pitch forks are OUT (not that I think this is what happened here exactly, but in general). I don't know how many people realized she was a kid and kept piling on cause thats not cool, especially after so many people already put their two cents in, BUT isn't instagrams algorithm still a mess?? I get random companies reaching out to me about my art account, which has been on haitus for over a year, because they just saw my content show up on their feed.. So I feel like people don't realize this is old news because instagram is showing it to them. And not everyone reads before they post. But I dont know. Also SOOOORY I wrote soo dang much! Gave you a novel. Kept thinking of more things as the video went on! Great topic, thanks for sharing!

[@CompletelyMelanie]

This was all very well said!

[@NightOwlReader2790]

Jesse, y’all are valid as well. Keep making great content. This is a whole lot to think about, and I never really considered that POC gets jumped on for making mistakes even though I do hear about it from time to time. Lemme give this a think… By the way, some of the comments y’all have read do give off bad bullying vibes. I especially didn’t like the comment where they say “Everyone hates you”, this is just my opinion but I feel like that was a lot. Plus using the word “everyone” and “hate”, I can imagine a young teenager being psychologically affected by that. There DOES need to be a balance of speaking up when someone says or does something that’s hurtful, but not absolutely ganging up, harassing, and bullying them. We’ve all had that time as a teen where we absolutely think we are the most brilliant minds, and we don’t think through what we say. Some adults still have impulse control issues that make them say or do things that may not be the greatest. Do I make sense? Does this contribute to the discussion? It’s so late now, my mind barely works. I’m trying my best to offer something to the discussion though.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

It ABSOLUTELY contributes to the discussion. You have such insightful things to say and our interactions always brighten our day.

[@addygrubb9021]

I am that meme that is like "im moving at 500 mph--500 mistakes per hour" 🕺 when i was 17, it was like 1000 mistakes per hour 😳 i feel like yall made a great point, BIPOC/disabled/trans etc youth are unfairly held to a different standard when they make comments that others dont agree with Thank yall for the insights, and Akasha is such a good girl, doing all those cues at the beginning of the video, she deserves all the treats 🙌😭❤️

[@KittyxKult]

Y’all’s perspectives are on point as usual. ❤

[@bookterror]

what stands out to me is the idea of how much effort someone has to put in if they want to react and keep the original poster in mind. How much time should I spend on their account to figure out if they are under 18/BIPOC/not Western/queer/disabled/etc and should that change how I react to their post (or just influence my wording). Like half of that info is not readily available at first glance on my account. [Also reminded me of the Babel review drama where so many people dismissed the post because the OP was white when she was in fact asian.] what I will say is regardless of age that this will now be forever attached to her phase and I would bet money that if she's still online in 10 years it will be still be taliked about like it's yesterday's news. Many comments said "you don't have to react" or "just ignore it" but people have an equal right to do just that. You just don't know how many didn't either.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

This is a very insightful comment - thank u for adding this. Also what babel review drama!?

[@bookterror]

@@JesseOnKZbin I don't understand but I've replied to this like 7 times??? and yet somehow, nothing

[@radiantchristina]

Bookstagram used to be fun and low pressure. It is no longer like that . I deleted my Insta amd have never been happier.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

mad happy you made that choice for yourSelf. true radiance

[@gintoxic4283]

just popping in to say that the interactions with your beautiful dog are precious and you look amazing in this interesting and well-put vid

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Tysm!!!!

[@MJ-ed2xx]

Y'all are always on it with the nuanced deep dive.

[@CityGirlWriter]

This is an interesting discussion. I haven't seen that original post or view the original poster's content before, so all of this information is very new for me. Hearing how this person is a 17-year-old woman of color (non-Western to be specific) is making me think of how bookstagram are very quick jump on the mob mentality when a creator makes a mistake, especially if they are a part of a marginalized group. This young creator is in the wrong for not truly being apologetic for making such a post, but the community is also wrong for jumping on her even after the news of her age was made public. There is definitely no right or wrong answer here. I don't know if this situation can be better if no one refuses to step away, reflect on their actions, and think on how other people would feel. The book community is supposed to help people be connective and empathetic, not tear someone down. Hopefully, this creator will truly reflect and learn from this.

[@andraste6746]

I started a bookstagram last November and it’s been really positive for me. But any whiff of drama and I unfollow people. Or people lecturing about how to use IG. I only joined to see books. I am way too invested in other Internet stuff and way too old to do drama on any platform.

[@riochanae4627]

Part of the nuance of doing the work to promote social healing is to remember oftentimes you have to prioritize equity over “equality”. And it didn’t necessarily feel great to choose grace. There’s a lot about the way this 17 year old’s attitude and sentiment that does truly irk me. That is harmful and ignorant. AND I had A LOT of INTERNALIZED problematic systemic ideas at that age. We all did. You don’t learn until you learn 🤷🏽

[@riochanae4627]

Oh! Also, “I’m young and asthmatic, take me away” took me outttt 😂💛

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Lmaoooo like that flex was so weird. Make it make sense

[@booksoverbreakfast]

I totally agree with you. I heard of the post but didn’t seek it out. I’m in my 40s, nothing I do is going to be cool to a 17 year old anyway 😂.

[@danaslitlist1]

This is wild, I can’t believe I missed all of this when I literally have an entire post about elitism across Book social media😂😂 Wonderful video per usual, Jesse! Y’all’s discussions always made make me think more critically and in depth about situations, which y’all know I need when I get passionate about topics lol so appreciative for y’all. The topic of keeping personal things off of Bookstagram is just impossible for me. My identities and who I am in every area of my life impact how I consume books. And because of that I will bring my personal life into MY bookstagram! Also also girl said that her post was for professional bookstagram accounts only?! Does she realize you get paid when you’re a professional?! As in sponsorships and advertising?! The same thing she says don’t belong on bookstagram 💀💀oh man oh man The defenders mentality of “wow you’re being mean to a child” is a bit mind boggling because she shared her very rude and disrespectful takes on her public account where she publicly shamed smaller accounts. This whole thing if toxic positivities is so exhausting. It’s okay for people to try to educate, correct and inform! Id argue even more it’s important when the person is young. Criticism, calling out, critiquing, etc isn’t people dog piling onto anyone. People are allowed to have responses and to share those responses as they wish. However, y’all are 100% right about the common occurrence of attacking BIPOC people more so for mistakes. I thin in this case, after it was clear she wasn’t actually going to listen, that it should’ve stopped. People just needed to stop engaging because nothing fruitful is coming from it. And thank the gods above I didn’t have access to certain social media before I developed a full formed frontal lobe. Also Akasha, sweet girl!!😭 making sure I send treatos for her and the other doggos in y’all’s care package and finally: BOBS BURGERS! Knew we were besties for a reason🤌🏻🙌🏻

[@JesseOnYoutube]

This whole comment is fxng awesome!!!!!! Wanna binge watch bobs on stream sometime? Miss our dates 🙌🏾✨ also tysm for adding the toxic positivity bit and acknowledging the line between toxic positivity and extra policing of BIPOC folks during errors of judgement

[@danaslitlist1]

@@JesseOnKZbin oh it’s a date, let’s do it!💕💕

[@victoriamccoy5070]

The door 👀👀

[@JesseOnYoutube]

It’s giving 911

[@bex9708]

Whew, this was a tough one. At first my reaction was pretty petty and enjoying the commentd, but once I learned she was 17 it definitely changed my mind. I made some really silly choices when I was that age too. No kid deserves this kind of dog pile reaction. I definitely don't agree with what she said, but I hope she can learn in time.

[@shuwei9420]

I know for a fact that I said some despicable things in high school, and learned how they were really not okay through my parents' responses and naturally as I grow through the years. I think it is okay to point out inconsiderate behaviour in young people but it's really important to be nurturing, instead of attacking them. I know that if someone attacked my behaviour as a teenager and started insulting and condemning me, it will spur me on to double down on being a ass even if deep down I've started to see the errors of my ways. I can't say that this is why OP is doubling down on their behaviour, it could be because even though there were many well-written comments, the meanest ones will stick out the most and might've led to OP being stubborn. Seeing that they're so young, I think in ~5 to 10 years time they'll have had a lot of time to grow and will probably be fine. Either way, I love my booksta buddies, professional and amateur alike, and we are all valid 🥰

[@balletbookworm]

OMG THAT DOOR!!! *freaks out for y'all through the computer screen* Akasha has talked to whatever is doing that and she's uneasy😵‍💫 RE: bookstagram, I didn't see the origins of this current scandal but I do remember when publishing realized Instagram was A Thing about 10+ years ago and the sour grapes that went around when certain accounts/creators got extra attention/swag from publishers over others or were getting more attention for having extra photo editing skills/real DSLRs/Photoshop etc to use on their photos as opposed to those who were working with whatever their smartphone could do. Ooof. Yeah, I don't think the OP meant to shit-stir but the hubris of youth got them in the hot seat. I would ALSO have run my mouth online at 17 (and I'm sure I did in some BBS somewhere bc thank god that SM didn't exist back then lol) Yeah, it's super confusing. And I also get that it's hard to admit that you're wrong because that's embarassing to have been called out in the first place...but I wonder if the comment pile-on is kind of pushing her to dig in a bit with the apology-then-defends-self-in-stories as a way to make herself feel better?

[@Lorie336]

Lol...I missed the drama to this, but I am glad there were a lot of constructive comments to help this Bookstagrammer grow. I don't know if this was mentioned, but what most people should have learned from school, reading, and TV (and now you can Google it) is that the teenage brain has not fully developed. It is still testing boundaries and taking risks which leads to not fully understanding the consequences that their actions can lead to. Knowing the age of this young lady is helpful so that she can understand what she said was hurtful to others, but at the same time we have to consider what her environment is like, what her point of view is, and how maybe she's been treated in the past. Is she being a bit rude? Yes, but weren't we all like that at that age? I am not condoning what she did, but I understand that's how she feels and that she wants it to be that way. However, she is young and may not have had the life experiences most of us have had and that's why I did like that some people tried to tell her to put herself in someone else's shoes, to understand and empathize how her words affected others. Also, was glad to not have social media around when I was growing up. I was just ecstatic about getting a computer in our library in 1995 (I was 14 then) with the internet. How many of you remember a time before Google? We had Netscape and Webcrawler. Love the discussion that will come out of this and passing on hugs to whomever needs one now. 😊💕💕💕

[@AnaCarolinaVanzetta]

Honestly, I've always been afraid of joining Bookstagram because I thought I wasn't good enough, worthy of it, didn't have a cool camera or an aesthetic. I still think those things. BUT, I also don't think people should continue digging into someone who clearly won't learn any sort of life lesson at this exact moment. Go kill people with kindness. Be kind, Change her mind.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

The situation is a let down because booksta for real is so supportive and lovely. Some of the biggest accounts I follow don’t have super flashy aesthetics or “photographer level” pictures. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this degree of content shaming on bookstagram. Honestly don’t recall a time prior. All of this to say…you are good enough and I hope u join and that we can be friends 💕

[@cleg78]

@@JesseOnKZbin this is the first time I have seen it too in my four years on Bookstagram and it really was a shocker. The ridicule posts that came up afterwards were just silly and was just adding fuel to the fire. My daughter is 20 and I have taught her to be socially responsible when it comes to social media. Never say something online if you wouldn’t say the same things to someone’s face and in person. I would be mortified if my child was a keyboard warrior and knocked people in any manner. I always comment on people’s posts in a positive manner and always thank people for sharing what they have .

[@AnaCarolinaVanzetta]

@@JesseOnKZbin Thank you, it's people like you who make me want to do it. And since I live in Brazil, I don't have access to all the new releases in physical form. I always thought that you had to have a gigantic book collection in hardback, beautiful shelves, etc. But maybe my kindle and my opinions (and my translated physucal copies) are good enough.

[@Silverraine1]

@@AnaCarolinaVanzetta yes, these are good enough! You know I've seen some people actually photoshop new book covers over old books and even their phones and tablets (because of glare), so don't stress about it.

[@sjor3569]

Not sure if you’ll see this but I just joined booksta and it has been very welcoming. I don’t have a fancy setup or anything but I’ve gotten very positive feedback even if it isn’t a ton. If you want to share your love of books go for it.

[@permanentlei]

I really be in my own corner cause when did all of this go down?

[@permanentlei]

As for the dogpile? Unnecessary. I think people get overly passionate on the internet. It’s one thing to be like bad take but it’s another to just attack somebody. OP is wrong but stooping to that level or lower is a lot.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

About a week ago

[@JohnSaxon-vw5vi]

So sorry for not being able to watch your amazing videos as I have been battling with my asthma and nearly ended up pushing up daisies so I am looking forward to seeing your videos prayers and thoughts for you and your amazing mom love your Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤

[@jennifernash4638]

Wow, I've been on BG for years, and I literally missed this whole thing 😂. I hate to see pile ups of comments like this, and the fact that she's 17 - ya'll the kids are not okay right now. We need to give them all the love and compassion we can muster. Even if all the comments align with my own views of BG. If for only that reason alone, there's no reason for me to add my two cents. I've seen over and over as controversies like this emerge and get passed around, the comments become more performative than helpful.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

“The kids are not okay right now. We need to give them all the love and compassion we can muster.” 🔥🔥

[@ladylovesteadreads]

Great think piece here. I like the points ya'll made about cancel culture. Completely agree with ya'll about making mistakes. I always give grace unless they double down on the problematic ish. Another question I have---if this is a child who all has access to her account(s)? Could there be a parent or guardian influencing or controlling the content for profit?

[@TheAquamarine4]

If i saw this post no matter what they look like or what they said I would’ve giggled, unfollowed if i had followed them and literally not cared for the rest of my life idk why people dropped paragraphs in their comments. They’re the true elitists and probably where this person learned it from…

[@dezd4551]

While the post was not great to say the least, I can extend sympathy for her as a 17 year old. I have always been a reactive person. My knee jerk reaction is generally not my actual reaction after a couple seconds of consideration. Now I'm in my mid twenties, and I can say that at 17 I was an idiot. I had to learn a lot over the last several years of being an adult of how to keep that knee jerk reaction internal and not act on it, reflect and be self aware, and to analyze a situation after I am out of it and say "I was the asshole here" and apologize for my part in being a jerk. Some things have taken me years of reflection of come to that sort of conclusion because the bottom line is, growth takes time. I'm sure there are situations now I'll look back on in a couple years and call myself an idiot for, because growth never stops. This 17 year old probably has not learned those skills yet, and like all of us she will definitely grow and change as she gets older. I hope she grows and learns those skills. The dog piling is absolutely not helping her to grow, because someone who feels that they are under constant attack probably doesn't feel they can step away and reflect. There were a couple more tactful comments you read that I hope she reflects on because I think they were written with the thought of teaching, but a lot of the others go too far.

[@crazybiogeek]

I barely use Instagram in general (unless you like my occasional cat photos), so I don't have a horse in this race. But I came to comments anyway to wish you happy belated birthday! :)

[@crazybiogeek]

(But in general I do agree with you and I think you did a good job of showing examples of how to tell someone they messed up vs bullying.)

[@YukiiReads]

what’s wrong with that door? I got scared 😅

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Yuki it was so weird bc there was no draft. The only time that’s ever happened was when I had another door open somewhere else in the house. I didn’t. 💀

[@tirill452]

I realize how little I am on bookstagram when things like this happen without us even noticing. Personally we're of the opinion that just because we don't agree with the posters original statement, something we do not agree with at all, that gives us no right to attack the person or drag them or claim "everyone in the community hates you blah blah blah". That's not how people should behave. You can disagree with someone, you can try to gently tell them that you do or ask them "hey, have you considered this" to see if that can change their minds, but you should never attack them. I do think their age plays a big role here, like y'all said, when a person is 15-20 they usually think their opinion is something everyone wants and needs to hear, I think everyone have done that and then hidden in their room in shame when they realise how stupid what they just said was, but normally that happens at school or in your friend group or maybe in front of your crush, not online where people from all around the world can see it. But at the same time, it wouldn't be okay to attack them for it even if the person was 40 years old and should do better. If you don't like what they post, just unfollow them? Scroll past it? And what's the thing about announcing that you're unfollowing something? How much power do people think that an unfollow holds? (that is more a general statement). I agree with y'all that the most annoying part about this is the half apology, that she's apologising in one place and doubling down in another. Pick one, either you apologise and don't engage with it anymore, she doesn't have to delete it, but if she stops engaging with it things will calm down a lot quicker, OR, she can double down and stand for what she said, if she believes in what she said then standing for it is completely natural, fight for what you stand for. But don't do both, that gets annoying and a little hypocritical. TL;DR: she shouldn't be attacked for what she said, no one deserves that and people are making a much bigger deal out of this than it needs to be. And people who apologise in one moment and double down the next are annoying

[@silverplim]

There’s a ghost in y’all’s house 😳 Paranormal youtuber era

[@kategriffiths9777]

Happy birthday!!! Your hair looks great. I wouldn’t comment on a controversial post like this (especially if my opinion has already been commented), it would just be adding to the pile. (This is just my opinion) but I think people can spend more time and energy commenting something positive, but when they see something upsetting we can have an individual instinctive reaction to type something negative very quickly. (Obviously not everyone is the same) but people do hop on the hate train eg. 1000+ comments glaring at you. I think the fact that people commenting might not know the person is 17 or a PoC is really interesting, because when people react like this they lose all sense of possible privilege in a situation. I’m in my mid-twenties (I’ve lived a bit) I’m also white and so don’t experience racism. The bullying comments shouldn’t exist (like at all). Asthmatic and young though! 🤦‍♀️😂 As someone who’s had an inhaler - this is hilarious.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

A bit random but can we just say thank u for helping us find phrasing to describe why we don’t always comment on a negative post - our opinion was already shared so why bother? Omg been looking for language to sum that up for a min haha Ty

[@kategriffiths9777]

Sorry it sounded random. I said Y’all hair looked great when I was watching y’all say, “don’t look at my hair,” then put it in a hood. I hope y’all had a great 31st. 😊

[@balletbookworm]

Also, Happy Birthday!!!!

[@Hyzentley]

I think there are some situations where being a minor or of a minority is not an excuse anymore - however, this is only for really serious shit, like suicide baiting, death threats, *seriously deeply harmful* bigotry. Not something like this, which was an untastefulness and arrogant design opinion at best. I am saying this because, while most of the fandom bullies I encountered were just your garden variety cis abled neurotypical queer in the for cishet acceptable way white people, there were a few who actually were minors and/or of some other minority, and they would constantly use that as an excuse why their intense abuse of me and others was okay and we were bigots for fighting back. I am talking about purposefully triggering someone, trying to start hate mobs, suicide baiting and death threats and deliberately being bigoted against groups I or the others were of. But again, this is serious stuff, not just an annoying arrogant teen. And even then, fighting back is okay but being an abuser back still not. Also yeah, these double standards for minorities are absolutely something to be mindful of.

[@sofiastj]

Can you please tell Acacia I love her thanks.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Absolutely. Will give her a treat on your behalf

[@sofiastj]

@@JesseOnKZbin ❤️❤️❤️

[@sw61911]

Yeah the post was shady but they're just a kid. I'm sure we're all guilty of regrettable posts at that age.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

i talk about this extensively in the video so i agree!

[@sw61911]

​@@JesseOnKZbinI actually just posted on bookstagram for the first time in over a year as I felt the anxieties they posted about but this video encouraged me to try again instead of moping. Thanks Jesse ❤

[@hitatchiqueen]

HEYHEYHEY I ASPIRE TO WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST BEHAVIOR

[@hitatchiqueen]

Cackle included

[@hitatchiqueen]

Also, im in nyc!! Next time you come if you wanna grab a drink (but no pressure if this is weird)

[@JesseOnYoutube]

Ummmmm there is no “grab a drink” there is only “happy hour and regrets” 😂😂 all that to say, we would b honored to meet you and would love nothing more.

[@hitatchiqueen]

@@JesseOnKZbin I am cry

[@josieann4390]

💜💜

[@Maritinylibrary]

The closest thing I have ever come to experiencing cancel culture was gay Twitter's absolute takedown of Ellen DeGenerous. She is really the one person I would say got canceled. Everyone else just got reprimanded like they're in grade school. Edit: While i do agree that there should be a level of grace given to a 17 year old, I do disagree that they don't understand actions/consequences. They're not toddlers. I think that people should approach this with civil manners and be respectful even if they disagree. Saying "Bookstagram hates you" solves nothing. But also a 17-year-old can drive. A 17 year old can make decisions. They're not exempt from guilt. It's a thin line, but I think they should be shown that what they are saying is wrong but shouldn't be bullied for it.

[@JesseOnYoutube]

love this. ty for adding!