If you haven’t seen it yet, a four-year-old boy named Jackson had quite the emotional moment listening to “Say Something” by A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera. If you’ve heard the song, you’ll know that it’s an emotionally charged song, and can bring out all the feels depending on where you’re at in life.

So I couldn’t help but be surprised at this reaction young Jackson was having to the song. What has he experienced in his life that would evoke such emotions? Or was he just really feeling the song? That I may never know (unless he gets invited to be on the Ellen show, which I really am hoping for) but something that stuck to me were the comments on this video.

A lot of them were “Aww, how cute!” But of course, any time a male is crying, gender roles and the idea that real men aren’t supposed to cry come into play. Some even went so far as suggesting that Jackson is gay based on his behavior.

It’s really sad that boys are taught that it’s not okay to cry, or showcase any emotions that convey weakness, for that matter. I’m sure we’ve all experienced the negativity that comes from hiding emotions, whether it’s trying to connect with someone else or battling inner turmoils that are already a struggle to begin with. You have to wonder what problems could be solved if people were free to just let their feelings out without the fear of being judged.

Luckily, Jackson’s father seemed pretty in tune with his son’s feelings, and even asked if he should stop the song if he was feeling too sad, so that’s a good sign. Many children don’t have the ability to openly express their thoughts and feelings with their parents or guardians for many reasons, which is a shame. Hopefully young Jackson recovers from this sad moment, and that it really gets people talking about sharing emotions and thoughts within a family.