Bell Let’s Talk: A Catalyst for Support and Self-Disclosure, or Corporate Greed?

For years, the stigma around depression has caused many to suffer in silence. Since its launch in 2010, the Bell Let’s Talk campaign, started by Canadian telecommunications giant Bell, has aimed to change the narrative around mental health. With Bell coming under fire for overlooking employee mental health needs and even firing staff as a result of requesting time off, this Major Research Paper explores how the 2020 Bell Let’s Talk campaign mobilizes support and selfdisclosure among Twitter users or whether it is simply another instance of corporate profitization. Analyzing tweets one week before, the day of Bell Let’s Talk and one week after, it is suggested that the campaign does not instill a significant increase in supportive tweets on the day of. Rather, it appears that users engage in self-disclosing their experiences with depression and share resources and ways to cope on the day of the initiative. Comparatively, self-disclosure and support does not appear to be sustained beyond the day of the initiative.