Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wellness industry docu may be an advertisement in disguise.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
(Un)Well
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Each episode of (UN)WELL focuses on a specific part of the health and wellness industry. Its subjects range from practices that are fairly commonplace, like the use of essential oils, to some fringe practices like bee sting therapy and ayahuasca ceremonies. The show follows users and practitioners of these therapies in order to discover what draws people to them and whether they might ultimately do more harm than good.
Is It Any Good?
Though often compelling, this series is also very misleading. There's a conflict of interest at the heart of any documentary that seeks to entertain as well as educate. Even if its intentions are pure, (Un)Well treats its investigation into controversial wellness practices the way video games sometimes treat military combat (like an exciting adventure) or the way movies about addicts can sometimes make drugs look cool and fun.
A certain amount of airtime is given to the downsides of these practices, like someone having an extreme allergic reaction to essential oils, for example, or someone having a seizure during an ayahuasca ceremony. But even more emphasis is given to the testimonials by people who have used these practices to improve their lives. The lure of good health, beauty, contentment, or recovery from trauma might be tempting enough for some viewers to ignore the risks described.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about good health. What are some of the things you or your family do to stay healthy and happy? Exercise? Healthy foods? What else?
What do the people on this episode of (Un)Well do for their health and happiness? What drew them to this practice? How does practice help its users? What are the risks involved?
Talk about the wellness industry. Who does it target? Is it helpful or harmful?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 12, 2020
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Educational
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 22, 2022
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