Black Mirror’s “Common People”: When Wellness Becomes a Subscription

One of the latest episodes of Black Mirror, titled “Common People”, isn’t just dark sci-fi — it’s a sharp, unsettling commentary on how well-being can be packaged, sold, and ultimately exploited by modern systems. In true Black Mirror fashion, it takes something familiar — in this case, the pursuit of health — and twists it just enough to reveal that without taking action, how close we could be to an unsettling future.

Plot Snapshot: A Life Saved, at a Cost

In "Common People", Amanda is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour and offered a revolutionary brain implant that could save her life. But there’s a catch — while the procedure itself is promoted as life-changing and "free," maintaining the implant soon reveals a tangled web of subscription costs, hidden fees, and relentless upselling.

Her husband, Mike, finds himself increasingly desperate to fund the higher-tier services that keep Amanda’s brain functioning — a grim echo of real-world models where the best support often goes to those who can afford it.

Core Themes: When Care Becomes About Status

Well-being as a Commodity: The episode paints a bleak picture of well-being as a luxury, rather than a right. The better the care, the higher the price — and in this world, survival itself becomes a service you’re constantly paying to access.

No Empathy, Just Upselling: Far from offering emotional or practical support, the tech company behind Amanda’s implant views her condition as a business opportunity. Vulnerability becomes a revenue stream. It's a pointed critique of how mental health services and wellness platforms can sometimes prioritise profit over genuine care.

Education = Empowerment: One of the most unsettling aspects of the episode is how uninformed the characters remain. There’s no real transparency, no clear explanation of the risks — just vague reassurances, complex terms, and manipulative language. It's a direct nod to the lack of education and guidance people often face when navigating modern well-being services.

Real-World Reflections: We See This Too

What makes "Common People" so powerful is how familiar it feels. From tiered mental health apps to premium-only access to therapy, many of us have experienced — or witnessed — the anxiety that comes from trying to get help in a system that isn't built for everyone.

But it doesn’t have to stay this way. The more we become aware of how wellness is being shaped, sold, and sometimes skewed, the more we can take back ownership of our mental and emotional health.

It starts with asking better questions:

• Who is this service really serving?
• Is this helping me understand myself, or just selling me something?
• Do I feel supported or just marketed to?

When we pause to question what we’re being offered, we begin to reclaim agency over our well-being. Awareness is the first step toward rewriting the narrative.

So Where Are We Headed?

If we continue down this path unchecked, we risk turning self-care into a full-time job — one that drains us instead of restoring us. But there’s a growing shift. People are waking up. They’re asking smarter questions, seeking honest conversations, and choosing well-being experiences that feel real, supportive, and rooted in self-awareness.

We’re moving from “do more, buy more” to feel more, understand more. The future of well-being lies not in constant upgrades, but in meaningful education, community-driven support, and inner clarity.

This shift is already happening — and you can be part of it.

Your Role in Changing the Narrative

You don’t need to overhaul your entire routine to make a change. Real power lies in the everyday decisions:

• Choosing rest without guilt.
• Questioning urgency before buying.
• Tuning into what you actually need, not what the algorithm says you should want.

You have the right to set boundaries, to ask questions, and to walk away from anything that doesn't serve your growth. The more we practice conscious choices, the more we build a culture of wellness that is inclusive, empowering, and human.

Our Takeaway: Wellness Shouldn’t Be This Complicated

Changing the narrative around well-being isn’t just a nice idea — it’s what gets us up in the morning. It’s why CHILL exists. We’re here to challenge the noise, question the status quo, and build a more honest, empowering path to mental health and self-care.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the endless options, conflicting advice, or pressure to be constantly “working on yourself,” you’re not alone. Wellness shouldn’t feel like another system to decode — it should support you, not stress you out.

At CHILL, we believe in cutting through the noise. For us, wellness starts with education over hype, clarity over confusion, and tools that help you feel more grounded, not graded. We’re here to make things simpler — no guilt, no guesswork, just honest support that meets you where you are.

Because looking after your mind shouldn’t feel like a maze. It should feel like coming home.