Unpopular Opinion: R U OK Day is kind of B.S.

We can be cynical about such a day all we want, participation can be very performative and the corporate world and industry, love to tick HR box predominantly for the purpose of looking good (same deal goes for Pride month, when all these companies become all about "the gays" for a month then drop the initiative as quickly as they got on board at the start of the month). This is nothing new, also seems a little point in most peoples eyes to have an initiative like this out there, where on one magical day we have d&m's and open up, when most simply won't.

Having said all of that, the idea of these kinds of days isn't to solve the worlds problems overnight, it's to remind people of the support structures that are out there (even if you have to wade through the superficial ones) while also maybe helping those that may be either concerned for people they know, or if they themselves are going through a rough time, to engage with one another - it's not about simply asking the question "are you ok" it's about having the discussion in the first place (where appropriate and with good intentions). Some people may take the easy road, but many people after reaching out follow up with those they have engaged with - sure, we could argue that we don't need a national day like this to promote conversations and addressing mental health issues, but it doesn't hurt. The real message behind the initiative and even having a national day that has marketing surrounding it, is that we should be considerate and supportive of one another every day, not just once a year when it seems convenient.

/r/australia Thread