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A viral post by Elmo from “Sesame Street” was a pleasant throwback this week to the once-common, feel-good stories about social media as a force for good bringing people together. The puppet posted on X, simply asking how everyone was doing.
Viewed by more than 180 million people, a massive collective therapy session ensued. It seemed cathartic for those who took part, but it was clear not everyone is doing OK.
Elmo sparks online frenzy after asking ‘how is everyone doing?’
Today’s social media atmosphere is also not OK. The darker stories are taking over and the wrong people have a platform, as in the horrible news that a man posted video to YouTube of himself claiming to hold his father’s dismembered head and promoting conspiracy theories that flourish online.
It took longer than you’d expect for YouTube to remove the video, which means thousands of people saw it.
Man arrested after video post showed severed head of his father, police say
Or there is the horrible story of South Carolina state…
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