Brainerd teen goes viral with positive message delivered via doorbell camera: "You matter to someone"
BRAINERD, Minn. -- A young teenager's positive message meant for just one person to hear is now reaching millions.
"I just saw the doorbell camera when we were walking to the gas station and I just thought maybe I should say something nice to it," said 13-year-old Jacksen Proell, who, a few weeks ago, on a summer day, was out to buy some snacks with friends.
"My friends were ding-dong-ditching those cameras and I was like, 'You know what, how about I go say something nice, maybe they need to hear it'," he said, admitting he had never done something quite like what he was about to do.
Proell approached the doorbell camera, casually flicked a bug off of its lens, and confidently said:
"You can see me and you matter, alright? There's always gonna be someone that cares about you. And you're a good person. No matter what people say, you matter. (Friend hits doorbell, then runs off). Ignore them. They're losers. They're ding-dong-ditching you. I'm just trying to say something nice. Like, I don't know what they're doing. They're running away and stuff. I'm just trying to say that you matter man, or girl. Whoever you are you matter to someone. Just keep that in mind. Don't forget that."
Once finished, Proell calmly walked off, the same demeanor he held as he approached the door and spoke words of wisdom.
It didn't matter to him who heard his message, just that someone did. In this case, it was the homeowner, Ashley Mann. She was on vacation when her phone got an alert.
"Just like going through footage and getting rid of notifications and I saw some kids at the doorbell, and I watched it and I was like 'wow, that was really powerful'," she said.
She understands the gravity of Proell's words. Mann is a mental health guide a Central Lakes College, helping teenagers and young adults in crisis find programs to help them work through their issues.
"This young kid came up to my random doorbell to just say hey, you matter, just wanting to spread kindness and positivity and it just made me feel like I should do the same thing," she said.
Mann uploaded the video on TikTok to pay his message forward, unaware of how quickly it would go viral.
Within 11 hours, she said the video had one million views. A few days later it climbed over five million views. Copies of the video were shared on Facebook and Instagram, reaching millions more.
One of those views on TikTok was a humbled Proell.
"I'm not trying to get famous or something like that. I was just trying to say something nice and now this is happening. So, I'm just kind of going with it," he said on a Zoom call as he sat beside his mom, Carissa.
The video left her beaming but not surprised. "My heart just expanded so proudly," she said with a smile that never seemed to leave her face. "He's told me before that he'll stand up for kids. Like, if he feels somebody's being singled out or bullied that he'll intervene and try to be a distraction so that that kid isn't so targeted."
That desire to lift someone's spirits was clearly Jacksen's intention. He likely had no idea just how helpful they could be.
"I mean it goes a long way," said Mann. "Just reading the [TikTok] comments. Some people were like, 'Hey my girlfriend broke up with me today, I really needed to hear this'," she recalled.
Most of the comments were praise for Proell and his parents. But in the midst were several people saying how much his message struck them, how much they needed to hear it.
"Someone mentioned that they were going to commit suicide sometime soon and then the video made them change their mind about it," said Proell.
The idea of someone contemplating ending their life, then changing their mind based on what Proell said is a heavy thought. Thankfully for them, his message carried so much weight.
Proell and his mom have connected with Mann over TikTok and Facebook. They're planning a get-together soon with Mann's kids as well.