Carving a Space for Mental Health Challenges in the Metaverse

LONDON — Is there room for compassion in the metaverse?

simon white house thinks so The fashion executive and founder of a creative collective called EBIT believes that the metaverse it can function as an oasis for people with mental health issues, a safe, non-commercial space to connect, learn and create.

“My utopian vision is that Web3.0 will be a force for good, a platform for social justice, and a way for people with mental health issues, people who are maybe too sick to get together physically, to have a life,” Whitehouse said.

He believes 3.0 can offer a different narrative, one that is not just about profit-seeking, but a way to improve people’s lives by focusing on positive communication and addressing cyberbullying, grooming, and online bullying.

Whitehouse has already tested his idea with two NFT projects in the last six months.

Last December, he unveiled a digital and NFT project called “Yellow Trip Road” a game-style journey that was meant to help users tune in to the mental health challenges many people will face as they go through life.

Designed as an immersive extended reality experience, it asked viewers to follow a yellow brick road through bright and beautiful landscapes, as well as desolate and desert ones.

After winding through the surreal landscapes, the path led to outer space where everything seemed isolated, meaningless and out of reach. The trip finally got better and ended with a blue ocean and sky.

Whitehouse said the virtual ride was meant to build empathy and offer “a metaphor for those suffering from mental health issues.”

There was also a retail element, with the success of the first crop of NFTs “Yellow Trip Road”: the 300 limited-edition NFT “Bumper Jumpers” or sweatshirts sold out in 24 minutes. They cost €150 each and raised $50,000, with 10 percent of sales going to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

EBIT stands for Enjoy Being in Transition, and Whitehouse said the plan is to harness the creativity of designers, musicians and artists and spark conversations about mental health. He describes EBIT as “an artistic prism” that will help people see mental health issues in a new light.

In accounting jargon, EBIT also means earnings before interest and taxes, but Whitehouse wanted to subvert that definition and build a business that doesn’t rely on “extreme capitalism.” He said he wants EBIT to put purpose before profit.

Last month, EBIT launched its second NFT project: the Spectrum of Footwear E010 range, consisting of 10 hybrid NFT styles.

Sporty slingback mules transition into flat-grain leather low tops, then classic basketball high tops before hybridizing with post-modern Chelsea boots, clogs and wedge heels.

The idea is intended to reference how footwear and mental illness can exist in a broad spectrum and involve many different elements and nuances.

The footwear range was designed by hand and developed, marketed and sold entirely in 3D. NFTs launched through the dematerialized on the Lukso blockchain. Styles will start on DressX in July, allowing people to use life-size digital versions on social media or during video calls.

Around 10 per cent of sales will go to the National Autistic Society charity.

EBIT is Whitehouse’s personal business and a passion project. In 2021, he was appointed CEO of was ecologicalthe consulting, marketing and communication firm that seeks to promote sustainability and the circular economy.

Whitehouse was previously CEO of the creative agency Art Partner. Before that, he held the same position in anderson from 2014 to the end of 2017.

He has also worked with labels such as Matthew Williamson, Diesel Black Gold and DKNY. Whitehouse was Diesel Black Gold’s Global Sales and Brand Director for three years, and Matthew Williamson’s Global Commercial Director for two years.

EBIT has also worked on cultural and music projects, all of which focused on addressing mental health issues. Collaborators so far include M/M (Paris), glen luchfordMichel Gaubert, Soo Joo Park, DJ John Digweed and Wilson Oryema.

Whitehouse said that over the next six months, EBIT’s focus will once again be on music, with exclusive sound compositions aimed at stimulating the release of the feel-good hormone dopamine in listeners.

The ultimate goal of all projects is to send a message to the public and to brands in the creative and communication industries. “You have a platform, use it to do something good,” Whitehouse said.