A teenager in Minnesota has made a big impression on people all over the internet. He simply offered some kind words in front of a doorbell camera one day. The boy didn't know who his words would reach if anyone but the random act of kindness turned into a viral video of an inspiring message now viewed by millions.
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00:00 A teenager in Minnesota has made a big impression on people all over the internet.
00:05 He simply offered some kind words in front of a doorbell camera one day.
00:09 Now the boy didn't know who his words would reach, if anyone, but the random act of kindness
00:14 turned into a viral video of an inspiring message now viewed by millions.
00:19 Jeff Wagner reports.
00:21 I just saw the doorbell camera when we were walking to the gas station and I just thought
00:27 maybe I should say something nice to it.
00:29 And you matter, alright?
00:30 There's always going to be somebody that cares about you and you're a good person no matter
00:34 what people say, you matter.
00:37 My friends were ding dong ditching those cameras and I was like, you know what, how about I
00:40 go say something nice, maybe they need to hear it.
00:43 Have you ever done that before?
00:45 No.
00:46 No.
00:47 It didn't matter to Jackson Prell who heard his message, just that someone did.
00:52 In this case, it was Ashley Mann, who was on vacation when her phone got an alert.
00:57 Just like going through the footage and getting rid of the notifications and then I saw some
01:01 kids at the doorbell and I like watched it and I was like, wow, that was really powerful.
01:06 I'm just trying to say that you matter, man or girl.
01:10 She understands the gravity of his words.
01:12 I am a mental health guide at Central Lakes College.
01:16 And the impact they can have on someone who's struggling.
01:18 This young kid came up to my random doorbell to just say, hey, like you matter, like just,
01:25 just wanting to spread kindness and, you know, positivity.
01:30 And it just made me feel like I should do the same thing.
01:33 Mann uploaded the video on TikTok to pay his message forward, unaware how quickly it would
01:38 go viral.
01:40 Within 11 hours, it hit a million and then about a week later, it hit five.
01:44 One of those views was a humbled Jackson.
01:47 I'm not trying to get famous or something like that.
01:50 I was just trying to say something nice and now this is happening.
01:53 So I'm just kind of going with it.
01:56 The video left his mother, Carissa, beaming.
01:58 My heart just expanded so proudly, but not surprised.
02:03 He's told me before that he'll stand up for kids.
02:06 Like if he feels someone's being singled out or bullied, that he'll intervene and try to
02:14 be a distraction so that that kid isn't so targeted.
02:17 How far can those words really go for someone who's struggling?
02:20 I mean, it's it goes a long ways.
02:23 I'm just reading the comments of like some people are like, hey, my girlfriend broke
02:26 up with me today.
02:27 I really needed to hear this.
02:28 Someone mentioning that they were going to commit suicide sometime soon.
02:31 And then the video made them change their mind about it.
02:34 A heavy thought brought to you by words of a teenager that carries so much weight.
02:40 Whoever you are, you matter to someone.
02:41 Just keep that in mind.
02:42 Don't forget that.
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