Is Petscop actually harming some of us?
A recent shitpost has got me thinking about Petscop's effect on some of us: Is Petscop mentally harmful to some?
I've talked to several content creators publicly on the subreddit, in their discord, on twitter. Several of them have said that Petscop has kinda ruined them in a way mentally.
A lot of them have become very obsessed in a very bad way. This obsession has done some weird things to them. Looking at their videos and public tweets... a few have reported symptoms of mania, depression, sleeplessness, or even memory loss in some extreme cases that could be related to Petscop
You'll notice that quite a few of them have stepped away from Petscop for reasons that they have cited as personal too. I personally believe that this is due to the nature of becoming obsessed with a series with such deeply disturbing lore. Having become a recently content creator myself, I've noticed how mentally stressful it can be when making content related to Petscop.
Even beyond that, I've noticed some of the same symptoms in a lot of the fanbase too. It's a lot more short term after recent uploads, but it's for sure there. That said, for a few it's absolutely an obsession long term. How many of us keep the Petscop subreddit page open and hit F5 a dozen or more times a day? How many of us visit this subreddit a day without fail? How many of us frequent the YouTube page several times a week? How many of us watch the series several times a month or more?
Petscop has been known to use "cognito hazards" and tricks to mess with us psychologically. This includes mild hypnosis, like through the song "The Sign" as well as frequencies that have been known to cause issues with human consciousness, like the caskets.
Some things to consider:
Is Petscop designed to cause obsession in some way psychologically?
Is this obsession and mental unease a meta part of the art project?
Are we being experimented on in some way by the creators or the proprietors as a meta part of the in universe story?
If true, what are the moral implications of us, as an audience, being experimented upon?
Who knows what else we've missed that's been intentionally better hidden?
What other mental issues have been unintentionally exacerbated by Petscop?
My final thoughts:
Everything in moderation, including Petscop. Try not to become too obsessed.
People with mental disorders and disabilities may be very mush so more susceptible to these conitohazards. So it may not be the creator's intention o cause any harm, even if harm was done.
If you find yourself having obsessive thoughts about Petscop, then it may be time to step back for a little while.
Please note: All of this information is available publicly. I'm not violating the trust or privacy of any content creators nor am I mentioning names. There should be zero stigma around mental illness. A person with a mental illness is no more at fault than someone who would break an arm or get a cold. My doctorate is unrelated to mental health. I am not your doctor. My opinions do not constitute medical advice.