[Commentary] Filipino internet users speak out in defense of ‘Healing Inner Child’ viral post

A video posted by a social media user over the weekend has sparked a discourse on healing one’s inner child.

The original poster (OP) shared his experience on X (formerly Twitter), expressing how he can now afford to buy the things he likes now that he is employed. In the video, he can be seen happily showing off his toy store hauls.

Employed era 🧡 = Healing my inner child era ❤️

The kid inside me must be so happy 😅 pic.twitter.com/PIHMKUWuaS

— Kreyg , CPA 🔜🌱 (@kregvd_) October 31, 2024

After making this post, another user commented, “Bakit kaya kapag sinabing ‘healing my inner child,’ kailangan konektado sa konsumerismo [Why is it that when we say ‘healing my inner child,’ it always seems connected to consumerism?]?”

The said user made another tweet in relation to what he had posted earlier stating that he does not care about the “anik-anik” discourse too much and that they just like to dogpile because he likes “stupid rich people get bullied.”

With the negative comments that the post received, the person who showed off his hauls deactivated his account but then returned to the platform to say that “it’s easier to spread hate than to be kind, but I hope we still choose kindness over the other.” On the other hand, the other user who has questioned his post has made his account private since making these comments.

Filipinos online took to social media to share their thoughts about the tweets made by the user who seem to be implying something different from what the OP had posted.

One user wrote, “‘Healing your inner child’ meant indulging yourself with things you were deprived of when you were a child which meant material possessions for a lot of Filipinos because of the financial well-being of families they were raised in. Why can’t you just be happy for them[?]”

“Why is it so hard for some people to let others be happy? You do you as long as you don’t drag other people down,” a second user wrote.

A third user wrote, “god forbid an employed person enjoying their own salary y’all getting comfortable with minding other people’s business.”

More social media users shared what they thought about the said issue pointing out that there’s nothing wrong with enjoying one’s hard earned money and that one should mind their own business.

It cannot be denied that often, achieving happiness is linked to consumerism, as society frequently equates material possessions with fulfillment and success. This has led to some believing that accumulating goods will bring them joy, overshadowing the importance of experiences and relationships in the pursuit of true happiness. But rewarding ourselves from time to time and “healing our inner child” when we can shouldn’t be something that we should feel sorry or guilty about. As long as we are not hurting or inconveniencing anyone, then we are all free to process our day to day struggles in life.

This issue has so many layers to unpack—encompassing consumerism, retail therapy, overconsumption, and the complexities of capitalism—each deserving its own discussion. Yet, as life becomes increasingly challenging for the average person, we find solace in and celebrate the small victories along our journey.

Yes, people are entitled to their own opinions, but that doesn’t mean we have the right to take away others’ joy. Everyone has the right to celebrate their achievements in their own way, and it is not anyone’s place to dictate how others spend their hard-earned money.

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