Sometimes we just need someone to care. Oftentimes, we don’t even realize that we were waiting for someone to ask us how we are coping. And in an age where childhood heroes, like Steve from “Blue’s Clues” have made a comeback on TikTok, just “listening” to what you might need to get off your chest, it’s clear Americans are struggling.
We just didn’t realize how many people weren’t doing so well. So when Elmo, “Sesame Street’s” beloved 3-year-old furry red monster, made a post on X, his simple question likely wasn’t expected to bring in such a response that eventually more puppets from the show reached out to the generation of adults who responded.
Elmo’s question: “Elmo is just checking! How is everybody doing?” The answers from thousands of adults poured in, highlighting the mental health challenges some Americans are going through. The posts had a few that were obvious jokes, but the majority weren’t.
After Elmo, the red Muppet, asked followers on X how they were doing, he was overwhelmed by the responses. So his Muppet friends from “Sesame Street” showed up to lend a hand. Photo by Sesame Street
“Every morning, I cannot wait to go back to sleep,” one X user posted. “Every Monday, I cannot wait for Friday to come. Every single day and every single week for life.” Another wrote, “The world is burning around us, Elmo.” “Elmo we are tired,” someone simply responded.
Elmo I’m suffering from existential dread over here,” another commented.
According to Mental Health America, nearly 50 million Americans are struggling with mental illness. And after only two days, the video had more than 182 million views and tens of thousands of people sharing trauma that they could only tell Elmo.
Psychologist Shira Spiel said that none of that is surprising. “People are really struggling currently, between the upcoming election, state of the climate, among others, with perhaps inadequate places to release the stress,” Spiel said. “Perhaps it speaks to the desire to connect in our increasingly remote, virtual world.”
Nicole Kern, a psychologist in Washington, said that the Muppets from Sesame Street have the ability to encourage people to talk honestly about issues, especially on mental health. They have a unique role and that is why Kern said so many people spoke to Emo, who only talks in third-person.
“If Sesame Street Muppets made us feel anything as children, it was safe and loved,” Kern says, adding that a puppet like Elmo can make people feel “less apprehensive when sharing their thoughts and feelings … as they feel less fear of judgment or negative reactions that they may receive from a person.”
A recent Pew Research survey reported that more than one-third of the nation’s adults say they have little confidence in America’s future. They are seeking comfort, human connection and more importantly, the need to be vulnerable in a society where that is often viewed as weakness.
Not well. I serve in Congress https://t.co/K0M3CkXMMo
— Jared Moskowitz 🟧 (@JaredEMoskowitz) January 30, 2024
When Elmo’s furry friends saw the response, they hurried to X to help. Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Snuffleupagus and many others retweeted Elmo’s post, seeking to give love and support to the long-ago viewers who are now struggling adults. The official Sesame Street account linked to mental health resources and support.
Elmo promised that he would check in again. “Wow! Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you.”
Even President Joe Biden responded, posting on X that he knows “how hard it is some days to sweep the clouds away and get to sunnier days.”
“Our friend Elmo is right: We have to be there for each other, offer our help to a neighbor in need, and above all else, ask for help when we need it,” Biden said. “Even though it’s hard, you’re never alone.”
More importantly, Elmo’s post and subsequent response was a palpable reminder of why those challenges are best faced together — as a community — rather than individually.
“For older children and adults, we can find a lot of benefits in storytelling, especially when we have a shared trauma or similar experience,” Kern added. “This helps us to see that we are not alone, and that if other people are able to overcome these situations, we may also be able to overcome them.”
Watch below to see Elmo and friends offer help to those in need.
