Fame, filters, and murder
Why the scroll can hurt — plus my thoughts on Drop Dead Famous.
Hi friends,
This week, the internet is once again making me want to throw my phone into a lake.
Not permanently.
Just long enough for it to think about what it’s done.
Because between filters, likes, comments, “perfect” bodies, and videos that seem to know exactly what makes teens feel awful about themselves, social media is starting to feel less like entertainment and more like a funhouse mirror with Wi-Fi.
So grab your coffee, tea, or emotional support bookmark.
It’s time for another Brave Bookshelf Dispatch.
📁 THE BRAVE BOOKSHELF CASE FILE
Case: When the scroll starts messing with how teens see themselves.
I found a review through the National Library of Medicine that looked at how social media affects adolescent body image and emotional well-being.
The review looked at 26 studies from the past five years, focusing on terms like social media, body image dissatisfaction, mental health, adolescents, eating disorders, and self-esteem.
And the findings were heartbreaking, but not surprising.
The studies found a strong link between frequent social media use and negative body image. Appearance-focused platforms like Instagram and TikTok can push unrealistic beauty standards, especially when teens start measuring themselves through likes, comments, and peer approval.
Both boys and girls reported body dissatisfaction, though most of the research focused on girls.
The review also connected frequent social media use with lower self-esteem, anxiety, depression, eating disorder risk, and a stronger drive for thinness.
So basically, the internet looked at teenagers — already full of feelings, hormones, self-doubt, and questionable sleep habits — and said:
“Would you like to compare yourself to 4,000 edited strangers before breakfast?”
Hard pass.
You can read the study here:
👉 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12437731/
💻 KIM VS. THE INTERNET
This week’s question:
When did mirrors become algorithms?
Because that’s what this feels like.
Teens are not just looking in the mirror anymore.
They’re looking at filtered faces.
Edited bodies.
Beauty trends.
Fitness trends.
“What I eat in a day” videos.
Comment sections full of strangers.
And algorithms that keep feeding them more of whatever makes them stop, stare, compare, and feel worse.
That’s the part that gets me.
It’s not just that teens are seeing unrealistic images.
It’s that the apps learn what holds their attention.
Even if what holds their attention is insecurity.
Even if it makes them anxious.
Even if it makes them feel too big, too small, too awkward, too different, too much, or not enough.
And as a mom, teacher, book reviewer, and YA author, I keep thinking about the kids who are quietly absorbing all of this.
The ones who don’t say anything.
The ones who laugh it off.
The ones who post the picture, delete it, repost it, check the likes, check the comments, and then pretend they’re fine.
This is why media literacy matters.
Not in a boring worksheet kind of way.
In a “please know this image was edited, this influencer is selling something, and your worth does not live in a comment section” kind of way.
We need to talk with kids about what they’re seeing.
Not shame them for being online.
Not panic every time they open an app.
But help them ask better questions:
Who made this?
Why am I seeing it?
Is this real?
Is this selling me something?
How do I feel after watching this?
Would I talk to a friend the way this post makes me talk to myself?
Because that last one matters.
A lot.
📚 BOOKS THAT START THE CONVERSATION
This week on The Brave Bookshelf, I’m talking about:
Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson
This one caught my attention because it takes fame, grief, sisterhood, murder, and the pressure of living under a spotlight and turns it into a YA mystery that feels very now.
The pitch alone hooked me:
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets a cultural moment like The Eras Tour gone horribly wrong.
After pop superstar Blair Baker is murdered just before her homecoming concert, her younger sister Stevie becomes determined to find out what really happened.
But fame is not as shiny up close.
As Stevie digs into Blair’s death, she gets pulled into the darker side of global fame, public image, secrets, grief, and the kind of attention that can turn dangerous fast.
What I liked most:
📖 The hook: A murdered pop star, a grieving younger sister, and a homecoming concert that turns into a crime scene? Yes, my mystery-loving brain immediately needed answers.
💛 The brave conversation: This book brings up questions about fame, public pressure, grief, sister bonds, and what happens when someone becomes more of an image than a person.
👀 Who might connect with it: Teens, mystery readers, pop culture fans, librarians, teachers, and anyone who likes twisty YA stories with messy family emotions and big public stakes.
🗣️ Question to ask after reading: How much of a famous person do we actually know — and what do we forget when we treat them like entertainment instead of a human being?
You can read my full review here:
🎤 NEW ON THE BRAVE BOOKSHELF
In case you missed it, here’s what’s new:
📚 Latest Review:
Perfectly Creepy
What would you do if you returned home from summer camp and discovered that your entire town had changed?
✍️ Coming Soon: More book reviews, brave conversations, and probably more evidence that I cannot be trusted near a bookstore.
You can catch up here:
📅 AUTHOR EVENTS & BOOKISH NEWS
Blue Water Festival in Port Huron was cancelled due to the unhealthy air quality from the Canadian wildfires up North. If you haven’t seen what it’s been like up here in Michigan last week, we’ve been shrouded in a sickly orange color. Perfect for a horror novel setting, not so perfect for our lungs.
That orange round thing is the moon, I think. I couldn’t tell when I drove my son to work on Thursday. It may be the sun; I’m not sure. What do you think?
Upcoming Events
Date: Saturday, September 26
Time: 12:00–9:00 p.m. ET
Location: 200 West Nine Mile, Ferndale, Michigan
Event type: Art fair / author signing
More information: Funky Ferndale Art Fair
I’ll be attending Funky Ferndale Art Fair with other SCBWI members, where I’ll be selling and signing copies of Ask the Girl.
Funky Ferndale is known for its creative, lively art fair atmosphere, and I’m excited to be part of the bookish side of the fun. Come browse, shop, discover new artists and authors, and say hello.
Behind the scenes, I’m reading, reviewing, writing, podcasting, and trying not to let my inbox become a crime scene.
💬 YOUR TURN
Reply and tell me:
What part of social media do you think affects teens the most?
Filters?
Likes?
Comments?
Influencers?
Beauty trends?
Comparison?
The pressure to always be visible?
You can reply with just one word.
I’m nosy, but in a bookish way.
Until next time,
Kim
Author | Book Reviewer | Host of The Brave Bookshelf
P.S. What social media trend would make the creepiest YA thriller plot? I’m collecting ideas for completely normal author reasons.
So sad how social media affects young women. I'm so glad I didn't have this influence when I was a child.