@darrenrovell shot me over a txt this morn, the WSJ article: US Overdose Deaths Soared in 2020 by over 30%. At over 90k deaths, this is the highest # in 3 decades.
Meanwhile, if you remember back a few months, in the heart of the pandemic, the powers that be in the media were racing to get their stories out, that: “Suicide Deaths in 2020 Looked Flat/Slightly Down.” The reason for the rush? To push a narrative, before the overdose # came out, that the pandemic/lock-downs didnt impact our collective MH in the US.
Even w this WSJ article, I see no mention of suicides, & only a focus on the overdoses. No balanced analysis of the big pic, bringing together “deaths of despair.”
Our media (& then as a result, the large trends in SM) takes complex topics like MH, take SIDES on those topics, to support conclusions that meet biases we feel more comfortable w & drive us in further opposite “opinion directions,” instead of waiting for an analysis of the big pic.
Then, as per this post, showing the big pic & the rest of the analysis, comes off as hatred, instead of just waiting for all the evidence.
We had @chukkybasics – former NFL lineman who won Super Bowl XL w the Steelers, & centered for Drew Brees in college on the podcast this wk. How does that convo sync w the topic above? Our discussion was abt how players in the NCAA are now getting paid: for autographs, social media mentions, appearances.
Our media is racing to talk abt all the BIG deals athletes are signing, & no one’s talking abt the MH impacts of 17-22 yr olds going from amateurs to “pros” in the blink of an eye. There’s too much to report on abt the riches, to share a balanced analysis of ALL the factors.
We get slammed for sharing this – balance, community, coming-together, collective approach, looking at all “sides.” Bc we don’t support a narrative that then makes ppl act/buy on emotion, we get suppressed. That’s ok…rather take time getting the real info out that’s gonna heal.
But let’s work together. SHARE each other’s balanced analyses. Media/SM is not prioritizing it, so we need to be the ones holding hands & doing it.