How Bell Canada Capitalises on the Millennial: Affective Labour, Intersectional Identity, and Mental Health
Since 2010, the large telecommunications company, Bell Canada, has invited Canadians to “break the stigma” around mental illness through a campaign called #BellLetsTalk. The campaign claims to donate millions to mental health initiatives, aiming to also “start a conversation” about mental health onl...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
De Gruyter
2018-01-01
|
| Series: | Open Cultural Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/culture-2017-0037 |
| _version_ | 1818585530533675008 |
|---|---|
| author | Peters Meg |
| author_facet | Peters Meg |
| author_sort | Peters Meg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since 2010, the large telecommunications company, Bell Canada, has invited Canadians to “break the stigma” around mental illness through a campaign called #BellLetsTalk. The campaign claims to donate millions to mental health initiatives, aiming to also “start a conversation” about mental health online. In large part, the Bell Let’s Talk campaign depends on the position of the millennial as a social media user with a real stake in conversations revolving around mental health. I highlight how the term “mental health” is often correlated to normative affect and behaviour, pointing to the importance of an intersectional understanding of mental health. Colonialism is also at play here, as the Bell campaign donates to Indigenous communities, but fails to address how psychiatric intervention is often a colonial process in itself. Through a feminist and critical disability studies lens, I critique Bell for its seemingly apolitical ad campaign, arguing that it bolsters normative narratives around psychological distress and its place in neoliberal corporations and colonial Canada. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:38:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-306a38652be54112812a8d9506ef547e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2451-3474 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:38:32Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Cultural Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-306a38652be54112812a8d9506ef547e2022-12-21T22:37:44ZengDe GruyterOpen Cultural Studies2451-34742018-01-011139540510.1515/culture-2017-0037culture-2017-0037How Bell Canada Capitalises on the Millennial: Affective Labour, Intersectional Identity, and Mental HealthPeters Meg0Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5 Since 2010, the large telecommunications company, Bell Canada, has invited Canadians to “break the stigma” around mental illness through a campaign called #BellLetsTalk. The campaign claims to donate millions to mental health initiatives, aiming to also “start a conversation” about mental health online. In large part, the Bell Let’s Talk campaign depends on the position of the millennial as a social media user with a real stake in conversations revolving around mental health. I highlight how the term “mental health” is often correlated to normative affect and behaviour, pointing to the importance of an intersectional understanding of mental health. Colonialism is also at play here, as the Bell campaign donates to Indigenous communities, but fails to address how psychiatric intervention is often a colonial process in itself. Through a feminist and critical disability studies lens, I critique Bell for its seemingly apolitical ad campaign, arguing that it bolsters normative narratives around psychological distress and its place in neoliberal corporations and colonial Canada.https://doi.org/10.1515/culture-2017-0037bell let’s talkmillennialsmental health crisiscorporate social responsibility |
| spellingShingle | Peters Meg How Bell Canada Capitalises on the Millennial: Affective Labour, Intersectional Identity, and Mental Health Open Cultural Studies bell let’s talk millennials mental health crisis corporate social responsibility |
| title | How Bell Canada Capitalises on the Millennial: Affective Labour, Intersectional Identity, and Mental Health |
| title_full | How Bell Canada Capitalises on the Millennial: Affective Labour, Intersectional Identity, and Mental Health |
| title_fullStr | How Bell Canada Capitalises on the Millennial: Affective Labour, Intersectional Identity, and Mental Health |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Bell Canada Capitalises on the Millennial: Affective Labour, Intersectional Identity, and Mental Health |
| title_short | How Bell Canada Capitalises on the Millennial: Affective Labour, Intersectional Identity, and Mental Health |
| title_sort | how bell canada capitalises on the millennial affective labour intersectional identity and mental health |
| topic | bell let’s talk millennials mental health crisis corporate social responsibility |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/culture-2017-0037 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT petersmeg howbellcanadacapitalisesonthemillennialaffectivelabourintersectionalidentityandmentalhealth |