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i’m trying to watch YouTube in the bath. Go away
I’m one BetterHelp ad away from bouncing my Pixel off the wall.
Is it just me, or is anyone else being low key harassed by advertising for online therapy portals in 2024? It’s either that or male grooming kits.
Perhaps my YouTube algorithm sees the amount of Manchester United rant content I consume and has decided I personally need an intervention.
Either way, any video I watch on the platform is now guaranteed to be interrupted by a shit Hollyoax-ass looking actor telling me ‘everyone needs therapy’, even if they’re not experiencing any negative emotions or thoughts.
One actor says: ‘My parents wanted me to have emotional intelligence from a young age, so I’ve always used therapy.’ She then espouses the circular ‘stages’ of life in which one should always return to therapy, even if feeling perfectly content.
Another actor says in a sickly hushed voice (while candidly rubbing moisturiser on his annoying face), ‘You won’t know if therapy is for you until you try it, so just give it a go. Do it.’
The rotation of ads also includes actors – presumably extras – pretending to facepalm, looking downtrodden while turning on a kettle, and a bunch more snippets that look like they belong on a guest-intro for Dr. Phil in 2001.
STOP THE BETTER HELP ADS!!!!!!!!
byu/trashQueen1947 intherapyabuse
If you’re not trapped in the endless cycle of BetterHelp promos, it’s hard to explain just how soul destroying it is every time one of these cringey caricatures pops up in the middle of something you’re watching or listening to.
The brand’s attempt to create content young people will relate to is so shameless and out of touch I was initially convinced it had to be parody. Not only is the execution of the material catastrophically shit, the intention behind is equally insulting.
It’s almost as though some exec stumbled across stats for Gen Z’s troublesome mental health on ChatGPT and saw pound signs. Let’s base our whole marketing campaign on the trope that young people are inherently sad, self-obsessed, and suggestible. ‘They’re so whiney, they fucking love therapy.’
It should go without saying, the vast majority of young people who are seeking psychological support aren’t looking to fill a 45-minute slot between a manicure and shopping with a natter. The reality is that they’re often suffering with something – depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal thoughts – not upskilling their fucking emotional intelligence.
Something feels really off about the company’s product placements in YouTube podcasts too. You’re flaunting what is supposed to be a professional service for people who’re struggling, and yet you’re moving like Surfshark VPN, Manscaped, or boohooMAN.
So yeh, months ago my first impressions were about as good as a diehard DC fan watching the Joker 2 trailer. Upon checking reviews of the actual service, I was immediately vindicated.
Patient-doctor confidentiality is the core foundation of any respectable therapy practice. We all know that. Now, ask yourself how you would feel if data pertaining to your deepest, most personal thoughts and feelings were to be sold to the likes of Facebook and Snapchat? That’s exactly what BetterHelp did in 2023 and was sued by the FTC.
That ethical dumpster-fire aside, though, what is the user experience like? Having sifted through pages of reviews, it’d be kind to say the comments are a mixed bag.
People say they’ve been matched with therapists that are underqualified, are in direct conflict with their own beliefs, or are just plain uninterested – no doubt a result of the sheer volume of patients they’re reportedly mandated to take on. There’s also a high turnover of therapists with no real longevity.
There are some who mention having positive experiences with the app, but there are plenty of suspiciously bot-like comments across Reddit and X that staunchly defend the platform as a whole. Parasocial as a mf, or more likely fake? Have a look for yourself.
Anyway, it’s time to sign off. I just want to put it out into the universe that BetterHelp should leave me alone forever.
The ever-present threat of their shitty ads hovering over my happiness like a dark cloud is making me feel mentally unwell, and before long I may actually need to talk to someone… FACE to FACE.
