We Need Snowflakes: In defence of the sensitive, the angry and the offended

by Hannah Jewell

Is today's youth over sensitive, mollycoddled and intellectually pathetic?
Does the scourge of political correctness threaten the very fabric of our nations?
Yes, and yes! comes the cry of the incensed politician, columnist, comedian, disgruntled father, and baby boomer.

Dubbed the 'snowflake generation', these hypersensitive cowards are up in arms about silly things like bathrooms smeared with faeces in the shape of Swastikas, climate change, and statues of colonisers being kept in their natural habitats of universities and town squares. They make obstinate requests like wondering if a vegan option might be available, or if you could (please) use their correct pronouns.

In response to this outrage, writer and Washington Post pop culture host Hannah Jewell has decided to write a book to explain why being a snowflake might not be a bad thing. It might even make the world a better place.

Subversive, provocative and very funny, Hannah explains how, shockingly, despising the generation that comes after your own isn't actually a new thing, and why it's good for students (and indeed the rest of us) to kick off. She shows how you can instill resilience in children without having to live through a war or be made to eat octopus; and provides a handy guide to how you - yes, you! - can also become a snowflake and help to make the world a kinder, more empathetic place.

Genres: Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 27, 2022

About the author

Hannah Jewell is the Pop Culture Host on the video team at The Washington Post, formerly a senior staff writer at BuzzFeed UK, where she became known for her humor writing about gender and her satire of UK and US politics, and for presenting BuzzFeed's live 2016 election night show.

She was born in London, but her parents whisked her away to California when she was a baby, and so she grew up frolicking on beaches and through redwood forests. She earned a degree from UC Berkeley in Middle Eastern Studies, taking a year out to study and work in Beirut. She had a great time in Lebanon but now is unfortunately banned from that country. She then returned to the UK in 2013 for an MPhil in International Relations and Politics at Cambridge, which was mostly fine.

She Caused a Riot is an empowering, no-holds-barred look into the epic adventures and dangerous exploits of 100 inspiring women who were too brave, too brilliant, too unconventional, too political, too poor, not ladylike enough and not white enough to be recognized by their contemporaries.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

*RTC*

[Hettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book after being called a ‘snowflake’. I wasn’t at all offended - ironically - but more perplexed as to the history behind this word and why some people believe it to have enough weight behind to cause certain damage - if that was the intention. I had an initial understanding that the intention was to shut down the discourse to prevent any opportunity of meeting a common ground on differing opinions. Finding this book title on the shelves at Waterstones I thought might help me consolidate the ‘why’ behind the jibe.

I found this book did develop on my basic understanding of the term which helped me to realise that the term is intended to not only silence your opponents; it also informs you that the so-called ‘snowflake critic’ wishes to diminish your views, delegitimise your perspective, thereby censoring you all with the aim of maintaining the status quo. Those who hurtle the term generally benefit from oppressive structures suspending society and feel threatened when their power statuses are being objected to.

There were many nuanced dialogues on the interplays of cancel culture, free speech (very different to hate speech) and censorship. These did take a bit of reflection and re-reading for me to consolidate, but I found that to be the nature of the discourse which seems to overlap and contradict itself so often it’s hard to keep on track.

The reality of those who claim a snowflake is an offended individual who seeks to censor their opponent is that those who benefit from the institutional structures hold political, economic and social power which allows them to genuinely censor their rivals.

Being a snowflake means that not only can you identify oppressive structures, you care enough to point out inequality and fight against the systems sustaining it. Those who call you a snowflake are actually projecting their offense onto you and want you to take responsibility.

I’d rather be a snowflake.

[Cait Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliantly argued points, a little leaning towards American culture for my POV but all in all a great book which delves nicely into the arguments of snowflake critics and why the use of the word is often oxymoronic.

[Hayley F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publishers. My review is voluntary and opinions are entirely my own.

We Need Snowflakes won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and no doubt, it will rile up a very specific group of people. However, this book was incredibly well written, it’s inclusive and empathetic and I highly recommend it. It really gets to the heart of the problem which is that anyone who takes an active approach to bettering the world they live in (especially the “youth”) gets heavily criticised by the media and society.

I loved how the author covered the “snowflake” side of the argument as this is all too often missing from the debate. (The reasons for this are discussed in the book.) Jewell turns “snowflake” from an insult into something empowering – something that every person should aspire to be.

[Esther van Praag · Rating 2 out of 5]

I decided to DNF this book 50 pages in. I’m not sure what I expected when going into this book, but after having read the Introduction and the first chapter (The Origins of the Snowflake), I was finding it boring because I was not clear on what the over arching or compelling argument the author was trying to make. It could’ve just been me missing the point…

Maybe I could’ve pushed through, given it a more decent chance by reading at least to the 100 page mark. But if I can only read about 50 books a year, I don’t want to spend my time pushing through and reading something that I’m not engaged in when I have so many other books lined up.

[Aidan Tringas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Challenging and informative, ‘We Need Snowflakes’ delves into the genesis of the term, and discusses the weaponisation and true meaning of the term, as well as the attributes of a “typical” snowflake and why the “younger generation “ is so often derided as thus.

An interesting, well researched and informative read, and great fuel for robust debates with relatives at your next family gathering.

[Ellie Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was wonderful to read. I did have to read it in small doses though, although I think that is largely because I don't enjoy the non-fiction genre as much. Overall, excellent!

[Bridget Bell · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a struggle. I agreed with the points made but it read like a suuuuper long Buzzfeed article/Tumblr post.

[Umme Aaribqah · Rating 3 out of 5]

brilliant 👏🏼