It appears some young audience members are finding themselves left rather depressed with the real world after watching the science fiction film Avatar.
The film depicts an idealised pre-industrial jungle utopia in glorious 3D, following which the grey reality of everyday life may seem something of a disappointment.
It makes me ponder the relative dangers and benefits of fantasy worlds and escapism, which exist to a greater or lesser degree in many films, books and video games. Not that I have anything articulate to say as a result of those ponderings, unfortunately.
Anyway, it seems as if the depressed youngsters are at least finding solace in their online communities, where they can get to grips with their post-Avatar life.
It makes me ponder the relative dangers and benefits of fantasy worlds and escapism, which exist to a greater or lesser degree in many films, books and video games. Not that I have anything articulate to say as a result of those ponderings, unfortunately.
Anyway, it seems as if the depressed youngsters are at least finding solace in their online communities, where they can get to grips with their post-Avatar life.
Hi Simeon,
In response to your blog post about Avatar and children experiencing depression, I dont think it is just children that experienced the grey disappointment of life. Some of us adults (and social workers) do to.
The banality and frustraition of which we have all got to experience in life - the stressful job, chaotic and unsatisfied personall lives - force us to seek solace in moments of escapcism. I mean lets face it, who would like a chance of having an Avatar, the key to a second life whereby you can embrace the world around you?
Or maybe you are realist who lives for the grind stone and excepts the inevitability of the 9 to 5?
The truth is that we can not escape the grind stone but for a split second when we watch something that takes us away we escape and for that split second we leave the stressful job, chaotic and unsatisfied personall lifes all behind.
I certainly don't live for the grind stone, Emil! I enjoyed Avatar and am a bit of a fan of escapism myself, which is why I was so interested in this story.