David Frayne

In brief: one of the biggest threats to kids mental health might be the well-being brigade.

"Hey teacher, leave those kids alone" etc etc

Which is to say that they create a particular kind of psychological subject. One that frets about happiness, accepts pockets of 'self care' as consolation for alienation, and takes reifying diagnostic terms into their identity

My 9 year old came up to me last week saying he "has" social anxiety. The point about these categories is they don't simply label what was always out there. These languages are also CONSTITUTIVE

It never stops amazing me how many (often clever) people think it is straightforwardly progressive to prattle on to kids about their 'well-being'.

ChatGPT, I know how you feel

BOOK LAUNCH! London, July 3.

www.scarlettletters.co.uk/event-detail...

The 'economic value' part of this particularly ugly. Shame on #bacp and its muddled priorities

Fixed

"Wellbeing day" at my son's school today. We are teaching children that life is about being miserable and then rehabilitating.

At least they will be prepared for work, I guess

I e. how we talk and manage each other's feelings is more important than structures and actions. Statements like "we want our workers to feel empowered" (not BE empowered). Or the possibility of "positive offboarding" (we will sack you but in a kind voice)

Went to a HR conference today and there is definitely something going on in that world it's hard to describe... Something like the primacy of a relational ethics at work

If Google Translate is to be relied on, 'The Refusal of Work' translates as 'Say No to Work'.

Definitely don't do that. But do advocate for post-work policy alternatives (a message that gets lost in the article, as interesting as it is)

Coinciding with the Simplified Chinese translation of 'The Refusal of Work' (a bonkers TEN YEARS after the fact) - a nice feature in 'Wellness' on 'tech employees who save themselves' mp.weixin.qq.com/s/R-Ul1Ukeh6...