Banned books are nothing new. Societies have fought against diverse ideas for centuries. We’ve all read accounts of burning “bad” books, of imprisoning those who dare speak against those in power, of cancelling authors for daring to write about lifestyles other than the majority.
This week is Banned Books Week, which “highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.” (Banned Books Week) As an author, I know people whose career has been affected by these bans. Some like to say that it’s a badge of honor to have a book banned, but many authors have chosen to stop writing for teens and children because of the controversy.
(More information ›› ACLU: Banned Books Week 2025)
When a book is no longer carried in libraries or bookstores, people can’t read it. They can’t buy it. And eventually publishers choose not to buy more books from that author. In order to maintain a career as a writer, these authors are forced to self-censor, to choose “less offensive” topics. To erase diversity from their books.
This is dangerous for society. Suppressing diverse ideas and no longer representing the different people and cultures that make us who we are, changes who we are. It becomes dangerous for individuals to express themselves. And it’s a violation of the First Amendment.
Two weeks ago I was locked out of my Threads account for violating their Community Standards. There’s no way to get more information, request an appeal, or find out what triggered the account being disabled. It’s just gone. Threads is linked to Instagram on the back end of Meta, so with some digging, I was able to confirm that both of those accounts are in good standing, I’ve never violated Community Standards, and I’ve never had a post removed.
But there isn’t a way to protest the decision, which was made by a computer. I’ve sent messages through Meta and Instagram, friends have posted on Threads on my behalf, I’ve sent more messages to tech support — but I’ve received zero responses.
Some may say, “It’s only social media, what’s the big deal?” Personally, Threads is where I went after Twitter became a complete hellscape. At first it was mostly writers, and we marveled at the soft, safe space we created. As more people joined, news and politics crept in and it became my go-to place for breaking news and insightful commentary on everything happening in the US.
While I discussed politics there, I’ve always been mindful that I write for teens and am careful not to curse or post anything too scandalous. That doesn’t mean I’m quiet about fascism being wrong and how our democracy has failed. A couple weeks ago, a lot of people were joking about Antifa (short for anti-fascist) being an organization, not an idea. I liked many of the posts, but didn’t write my own.
That’s the only thing I can think of that got me banned. And that’s scary. If we can’t speak out about our government — our elected leaders — we’re no longer a democracy.
I’m not the only person who’s been silenced. Through my writing friends I’ve learned of other authors whose accounts are just gone. If you’re reading this, if we’re friends, I know that this is not new information. Many of us have been sounding the alarm since 2016, and have been ridiculed for it. But we were allowed to talk about it.
Cancelling books, TV shows, and social media accounts may not seem like a big deal, but that’s where we get our information. It’s where we find people with similar ideas of lifestyles. When the government decides what can be shared, we as a society will suffer.
Because I can’t share this on Threads, it would mean a lot to me if you would share it on my behalf. Thank you. <3
