Pic of Elmo courtesy of Sesame Street
Yesterday, a funny thing happened on Twitter, (yes, I know it’s called X now, but I’m not going to give Elon Musk the satisfaction of being acknowledged by me. I know he worries about that a lot) So yesterday on Twitter, the Sesame Street character Elmo, who is a puppet, put out a tweet:
“Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” That one tweet has so far garnered over 12,000 replies and almost 47,000 retweets. Many of those responses were of an emotional nature. In the space of a few hours a puppet became the most popular therapist in the world. I’m not sure if that is a good lesson for kids. Although, I guess kids, who use social media for a lot of their communication with others, now know that it’s ok to talk about their feelings in a public forum.
I’ll give you a small slice of the replies:
The responses ran the gamut, some serious and some funny, but overall I like the message that it’s ok to reach out when you need. I wonder if Elmo will become some sort of online guru from now on.
This seems to be another sign that we are becoming a more remote online society, but it’s also a sign that there are people everywhere who will help. Have a great Wednesday and reach out to someone if you need to.
Thanks for reading! ~Phil
Very beautifully penned down to say the least! 💯✨
I’ve got to agree with the part you said “we are becoming a more remote online society”, I felt that.
My work involves me to work remotely, all my friends my age (29 years) are at that stage in life where they deep into their career trajectory that they don’t have enough time to reach out, check in, let alone meeting regularly. It is absolutely the same for me. But starting mid 2023 I have actively tried to reach out to my friends, making dedicated time where I will be the one who initiates the first conversation/plans/meetups etc. Am I Elmo in that sense? Haha, this article is a true gem, Phil.
Also want to take a moment to appreciate how your posts have the whole range of emotions, fun, information, serious points that one can relate to, humor and something that induces curiosity.
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoy my content. Based on your determination to regularly communicate with close friends, I think you probably won’t need Elmo anytime soon, but it’s nice to know he’s looking out for us.
Fun and tragic post all at the same time. I think responding to Elmo shows a deep need to belong. Responding to Phil on the other hand shows wisdom beyond one’s years.
lol, I don’t think I would get the same response as Elmo if I posted the same question on Twitter
You are probably right
Wow, I can’t believe people have that much time on their hands. It’s amazing.
I work from home, so occasionally I have time to take a look at Twitter while I’m waiting for something