The effects of censorship on society

Censorship has unique effects on different factions of society. Book bans effect writers to create stories. Censorship causes stories not to be written out of fear that they will be banned. It's possible if Johnson knew their book would have such a huge target on its back that they never would have written it and they never would have shared their story with the world. Johnson said in an interview it's "overwhelming to watch your story be twisted". 

Book bans effect readers because them from accessing information about different topics and people written from different perspectives. This can not only hinder one's critical thinking skills but prevents them from being able to connect to people with similar experiences to them. When ask what it would have meant to them to have a book like theirs as a teen Johnson stated "It would've meant the world to me to read anything that said being different didn't mean you weren't normal. That the feelings I was feeling were being felt by someone else before me. It would've given me a voice". 

Book banning's are organized, targeted efforts to push a specific agenda and go after not only literature but the people these groups believe stand in the way of that agenda. Publishers are certainly not safe from the wrath of those who want to take books of the shelves. Publishers having to spend time and resources fighting the censoring of the books they publish distracts from their actual job: publishing more books. 

As previously mentioned, anyone involved in distributing of literature that proponents of book bans don't like becomes public enemy number one. With the rise of book bans across the nation there is so often a narrative pushed by these groups that teachers are attempting to "indoctrinate" students. This could lead to even more educators to leave the profession in mass amid already one of the worst teacher shortage this country has ever seen. 

 Shelves and shelves of books are being removed from school libraries, entire sections even. This does not end in k-8s. A school board in Atlanta is attempting to ban 2 dozen books from high school libraries. In Floridia books are being ordered out of schools on the basis that "public school systems, including their libraries convey the governments message". How long until that justification is used to remove books in public libraries because they're funded by the state? 

Marietta school board consider banning nearly 2 dozen ‘sexually explicit’ books | Watch (msn.com)

Mark Lane: State argues it can ban what it wants in libraries (msn.com)