Filmmaker Jade Osiberu has raised concerns about the growing trend of people sharing deeply personal experiences on podcasts, questioning whether public disclosure is becoming a substitute for therapy and meaningful community support.
In a post shared on X on Tuesday, the award-winning producer said she had spent about an hour listening to a podcast in which a woman recounted painful details of her marriage and divorce while breaking down in tears.
“I often have different types of podcasts playing in the background when I’m working, and for the last hour, this podcast has come on where a woman is discussing some of the most painful details of her marriage and divorce. She’s crying and being held by the host,” Osiberu wrote.
While expressing compassion for the guest, Osiberu said the experience left her reflecting on what she described as a broader cultural shift in how people process emotional pain.
According to her, many individuals now appear to seek public sympathy through online platforms rather than relying on close communities or professional mental health support.”I have a lot of sympathy for her, but I can’t shake the feeling that as a culture we’re slowly replacing solid community, or even seeking therapy, with the catharsis of publicly naming and shaming the people who have hurt us and seeking public sympathy,” she stated.
Osiberu acknowledged that sharing personal experiences can help others feel less alone but questioned whether those who recount traumatic events in public ultimately find healing.”I’m really curious about whether the people who go on these podcasts actually find any healing from it.”I also understand the usefulness of people sharing their experiences so others don’t feel alone, but I often wonder if there’s a thin line between ‘speaking your truth’ and wanting to hurt the person who hurt you,” she added.
Osiberu is the writer and producer behind several acclaimed Nollywood productions, including Sugar Rush, Brotherhood, and Gangs of Lagos, and is widely recognised for using film to explore social issues and contemporary experiences.
