“Sesame Street” icon Elmo became the go-to therapist for millions of people at some point in recent years, but in 2024, it’s really starting to get out of control.
“Elmo is just checking in! How’s everyone doing?” Doll’s Twitter account Posted Sunday. And as it turned out, we weren’t really getting along. As of Wednesday morning, he has over 12,000 answers and 174.2 million views, and once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop.
It’s hard to separate fact from fiction throughout the responses. Considering the overall misery of all of them and the myriad reactions from each reply, it looks like millions of people are having a terrible time.
“The world is burning around us, Elmo.” I have written YouTuber Stephen McInerney.
Elmo, I’m suffering from existential dread here.
— David Leavitt 🎲🎮🧙♂️🌈 (@David_Leavitt) January 29, 2024
“People have lost all hope in this situation. [dystopian] The nightmare that was once called “America.” We are told not to believe our eyes, but to “trust the science.” ” answered Another user. “Unless science has anything to do with gender. We are on the brink of civil war, world war, and culture war. If there is no God, all there is is Taylor Swift.”
Comparing responses to the fact that U.S. adults are visiting therapists in record numbers suggests we may be in a mental health crisis, Axios said. I have written Among the most “duh” articles I’ve seen on their site in a while.
Elmo’s social media manager reads all reactions like pic.twitter.com/EVPMqISoXF
— Yotsu (@yotsu2_0) January 29, 2024
On a more serious note, about half of U.S. adults report how lonely they feel. Personally, I’m not surprised. My family and I try not to use cell phones when we are together. The reasons are: (a) it’s rude and (b) the purpose of phone calls is to contact friends and family. You are with them too.
However, most people I know spend hours a day scrolling through content that is labeled as “aspirational” but is mostly just lies. Our brains mutate to these lies, making us feel like we’re not social enough, rich enough, stylish enough, etc. In fact, we’re depressed because we don’t appreciate how good we actually are when compared to literally billions of people around the world. (Related: U.S. Surgeon General proposes age limit for social media)
So why don’t we stop complaining to Elmo about our problems and start focusing on very practical ways to help our mental health? Please put down your cell phone. Please put on your shoes. Please go outside. And stop engaging in the twisted world of social media. No one cares about your posts anyway.
