But when Sesame Street's Elmo asked social media users how they were doing, the result was an outpouring of grief, anxiety, and existential angst. "Elmo is just checking in!

In a handful of words on X (previously Twitter), Elmo, the beloved red Muppet of “Sesame Street,” unleashed a wave of unvarnished emotion from adults around the world.

"Sesame Street" and Elmo are accessible emotional resources in a world where therapy isn't always available. In a world full of upheaval and anxiety, comfort can come from unexpected places.

Sesame Street’s Elmo turned 3-and-a-half Feb. 3, despite being introduced on the show in 1980. Here’s the reason why his age stays so specifically fixed. February 4, 2025.

And Elmo is known, on Sesame Street and beyond, for his capacity to care. So the responses flooded in on X and Instagram, Threads and Facebook; and conversations sparked on Reddit and elsewhere.

Elmo was not expecting it to open a yawning chasm of despair. By Callie Holtermann On Monday the X account for Elmo, the fuzzy red monster from “Sesame Street,” posed a softball question to ...