Three days ago, Elmo (yes from Sesame Street) tweeted this…
Looking at the stats from this tweet alone is quite telling: 16,000 comments. 54,000 retweets. 137,000 “likes”. 194 MILLION views (at the time of this posting)
USA Today, among many other media outlets has reported on this:
I’m not going to deny that we are living in some very trying times. People are on edge. At the same time, more people are discussing mental health than ever before. On top of that, social media has made us more connected than any other time in human history. As troubling as these comments are, it is reassuring to know that other people around us are going through much of the same pain that we are.
Viewing Elmo’s comments alone is enough to make one think that we are living in the End of Days. But the fact is it’s impossible for any one human being to fully comprehend the collective anxiety and fear of humanity. It’s just something our brains are not capable of processing.
It’s not unlike the situation with the Divorced Dads pages I follow on social media. There are some hurt guys on there just looking for support and guidance. Unfortunately the profound despair one comes across reading the pages sometimes can be a bit overwhelming. When I see you guys on there, talking about some of their experiences with their divorces, or missing their children, I tried to chime in. But every now and then, it’s just too much, and I have to leave the page.
I believe that Sesame Street is the most important program in the history of American television. It’s original premise of providing pre-school education to young children is probably most directly responsible for the creating of American Head Start program.
The show has been running in America for over 50 years. Currently, it or one of the 30+ co-productions of the show can be seen in 150 countries worldwide. With that kind of penetration, I guess it should come as no surprise that the world is reaching out to Elmo right now.
But why aren’t we doing this for each other? The whole purpose of Sesame Street is to teach us how to be better people. Why aren’t we all taking Elmo’s lead and checking on one another?
Due to the overwhelming response to Elmo’s tweet, The Sesame Workshop (the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street) has compiled an extensive list of mental health resources here
This world will chew up and spit out ANY of us. No one can, or should be, expected to handle it alone. If you or someone you know is considering suicide or dealing with a mental health crisis, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Hotline at 988.
Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:
- Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
- A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
- The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
- Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
- The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie
The article “one little tweet” originally appeared on Rebuilding Rob
Rebuilding Rob 
Leave a comment