What Elmo taught us about Americans’ mental health

[KARAH RUCKER]

IT STARTED OUT AS A SIMPLE QUESTION – BUT QUICKLY SHED LIGHT ON SOMETHING MUCH MORE COMPLICATED.

IN JANUARY – SESAME STREET’S ELMO MADE AN INNOCENT POST ON X – SAYING, “JUST CHECKING IN. HOW IS EVERYBODY DOING?”

THAT OPENED THE FLOODGATES – WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE RESPONDING… VOICING THEIR ISSUES WITH “EXISTENTIAL DREAD,” MENTAL BURNOUT, AND OVERALL DISSATISFACTION WITH DAILY LIFE.

THAT INSPIRED SESAME WORKSHOP – THE POPULAR KIDS’ SHOW’S NON-PROFIT – TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT THE STATE OF WELLBEING IN AMERICA.

SESAME WORKSHOP TEAMED UP WITH RESEARCH COMPANY THE HARRIS POLL TO SURVEY MORE THAN 2-THOUSAND AMERICANS AGED 16 AND OLDER.

THEY ASKED WHAT PEOPLE’S WELL-BEING PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE ARE.

90 PERCENT SAID MENTAL HEALTH WAS A BIG CONCERN…

COMPARED TO 89 PERCENT WHO SAID THE SAME ABOUT PHYSICAL HEALTH, ECONOMIC SECURITY AND PERSONAL FINANCES, AND HAVING “A SAFE PLACE TO CALL HOME.” 

MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS (67%) OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID THEY WISH THEIR PARENTS HAD BEEN MORE HONEST ABOUT THEIR OWN MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES.

NEARLY THREE-QUARTERS (73%) OF AMERICANS SAID THEY WISHED THEY’D LEARNED MORE ABOUT HOW TO MANAGE THEIR EMOTIONS WHEN THEY WERE CHILDREN…

INCLUDING 84 PERCENT OF PARENTS WHO TOOK THE SURVEY. 

AND IT TURNS OUT – KINDNESS REALLY IS KEY. 

91 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS SAID KINDNESS IS ESSENTIAL TO THE WELL-BEING OF SOCIETY. 

82 PERCENT SAID THEIR OWN MENTAL WELL-BEING WOULD IMPROVE IF KINDNESS WERE MORE COMMON… 

AND 89 PERCENT SAID A KINDER SOCIETY WOULD BE BETTER FOR CHILDREN.

HOWEVER – MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID THEY BELIEVE “BEING KIND IS NOT A PRIORITY TO MOST PEOPLE.”