As the world continues to cope with the stresses and strains of the pandemic, suicide prevention charity CALM has created an innovative YouTube video to tackle the ongoing stigma … read moresurrounding mental health. Created by Recipe and starring YouTuber DanTDM, the short YouTube film features a cleverly placed hidden message that shines a light on people bottling up their emotions. It follows CALM's first ever 'Hidden Message' YouTube video released in 2020 starring Rugby International Joe Marler, which was a first of its kind. The film starts with DanTDM talking enthusiastically about embarking on another Subnautica adventure. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, and just another walk-through that gamers and many of his followers will have seen a million times before. But there is something different. DanTDM then faces the camera and directly addresses the viewer. “Sounds pretty normal right? Take a second look?” he says. Dan then tells the viewer to hover the cursor over the YouTube timeline preview to get the true story, adding, “I’ll wait”. As the viewer hovers across the timeline, the thumbnail previews reveal a hidden message, a message that reveals that how someone is feeling on the inside can be very different from the image they present to the world. The video ends by saying, “Feeling rubbish? It can be hard to talk about it. But whatever you’re worried about, CALM can help you find the words”. Research from the Centre for Mental Health predicts that 1.5 million children and young people under 18 will need new or additional mental health support in England. Whilst a staggering 84% of men in the UK say they bottle up their emotions, with nearly half (44%) saying they suppress their emotions often or at least once a day. And at a time when many have been confronted by anxiety, social isolation, uncertainty about the future, and other pandemic-driven stressors, CALM is asking people to look out for one another and check in on those around you during this time.
