Is called Elisa Franchihe says it right away at the beginning of his videos on TikTok. In most cases his gaze is low, sometimes his eyes are closed. He struggles to speak, his voice trembles. She is often framed by someone (her mother, probably) in a kitchen, because Elisa likes to cook.
Present yours recipes to the social media audience, she created them. They are very simple things but they look good when you show them. Sometimes Elisa feels worse and is unable to frame the dish, she describes the recipe in her voice. On days when the illness gives her a little respite, she goes into the garden, sings and dances together with her animals, cats and rabbits. Today she made a video explaining that she has been admitted to a clinic and will not be able to give her daily prescriptions. She had a severe seizure, ended up in the emergency room and was then brought back to one psychiatric community. She addresses her followers explaining the situation, also saying not to offend her in the comments because she is very ill and suffers a lot.
I tell all this because the first time I entered his profile, by pure chance and by decision of the TikTok algorithm, I was afraid to open the comments. And yet I was wrong, thinking of the average social media commentator, the one who sees people’s weakness as an easy opportunity to exploit his frustration. It hit my heart and not in a bad way. Yes, there are some stupid comments, perfection doesn’t exist. But the majority are phrases of encouragement. On the recipes, but also on the path of Elisa’s illness. There are many people who follow this girl, they have become fond of her, they worry on the days when she is ill, they shower her with love and defend her from those who try to be funny.
This surprises me why Being an avid TikTok consumer, I know that there are many people who show themselves on social media with their fragilities. But there are often spectacularizations, insults, useless provocations. And this is why I find the story of this profile an exceptional case, in which the fragility is not one of those fake ones that become an excuse for making views, it is authentic and welcomed with equally authentic warmth.
Unfortunately, there is still little talk about mental illnesses in Italy. There is still a stigma around people who suffer from it, as if it were somehow their fault, as if there was an easy way out (‘take a walk’, ‘breathe deeply’, ‘sign up for Yoga’). A girl like Elisa fights every day to escape something that has invaded her, a demon that prevents her from living everyday lifeto get dressed, to leave the house, to work, to do anything that most people do without even thinking about it.
Elisa could be a relative of ours, a neighbor of ours. It could be us too, at any moment. And the affection he receives every day makes me think that not everything is lost yet in the world and in social media.
