Elmo’s Heartfelt Inquiry: Social media was introduced to connect people worldwide. While it gave many perks to the human race, it also deprived them of the real world. Nowadays, people have various problems: some are struggling with their studies, some are struggling in a relationship with a toxic partner, some have financial problems, and some have family problems. There are a lot many problems people wanna share about and all they seek for a listener. Approximately 8.1 billion people in the world and all we crave is someone who “asks us how are we doing?”
If you are someone who is well-updated with what’s trending on social media you must be aware that recently, the famous red monster doll Elmo from Sesame Street, took one for the team, and posted on its X account, inquiring about its 457,000 followers about their well being. Elmo’s X post read, “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?”
The post came out as a ray of sunshine for millions of people who were just waiting for someone to ask this question. Elmo’s account admin may not have expected such an overwhelming response from the X users, but the responses somehow signaled how lonely people are in their lives, and how desperately they seek a listener.
In a series of responses, internet users showed their vulnerable side and answered candidly. A user wrote, “Elmo I’m depressed and broke.” Another user wrote very poetically, “One that was previously unfathomable. Our inevitable doom which once accelerated in years or months, now accelerates in hours, even minutes.”
After seeing such a candid response from the users, Samantha Maltin, the executive vice president, chief marketing and brand officer of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, suggested that people are a dire need of free, easy-to-access mental health resources. She added, “I don’t think anyone anticipated how deeply this particular question would resonate. But we’re so thrilled that we did ask.”
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But what was so enticing about Elmo’s post that people were so drawn towards it? Jess Maddox, an assistant professor of digital media at the University of Alabama, accurately answered this by stating that people feel a sort of connection with Elmo as a character to whom we were introduced when we were young and carefree. She said, “Elmo is a beloved childhood character that we associate with a simpler time in our lives.”
When Elmo’s post popped up on the screen of users who were mentally torn away by everyday hassles, they found solace in something that reminded them of the time when they were kids and stress-free. Maddox further added that Elmo’s post helped people facing difficulties in their lives. She added, “Compared to most online pile-ons, which target human beings, a fictional puppet is a pretty low-stakes target.”
Elmo’s courteous gesture made the tweet top the trending chart. The tweet earned nearly 150 million impressions.
The post not only attracted the general public but brands and celebrities also took up the opportunity to rant about their lives through this post. T-Pain tweeted, “I’m just looking for somebody to talk to and show me some love if you know what I mean” and Rachel Zegler wrote, “resisting the urge to tell Elmo that I am kinda sad.”
Considering the hype of the post, Elmo’s account posted a follow-up delivered in the character’s signature third-person style that read, “Wow! Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you. #EmotionalWellBeing.”
For the unversed, Elmo is a red Muppet character on the children’s television show Sesame Street.
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