The famous Instagram egg has revealed its secrets. The first: Social media can damage your mental health.

(Image credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

published 4 February 2019

Normally, when an egg cracks open, the animal inside is the main attraction. But the Instagram egg most famous for beating Kylie Jenner's most-liked post and baffling people was always the main attraction itself, and on Sunday, it was revealed that the egg could be you. At least in this iteration.

In a 30-second Hulu video that aired after Sunday's Super Bowl LIII, the egg — dubbed Eugene by its creator, British ad creative Chris Godfrey — cracks and falls apart. "Recently I've started to crack," the egg says in a caption. "The pressure of social media is getting to me. If you're struggling too, talk to someone," pointing to a link for Mental Health America, a 110-year-old nonprofit that advocates for mental health awareness.

The egg was not created to promote mental heath awareness or warn about social media use, however. Godfrey, 29, and the two friends who helped him created the Instagram egg phenomenon — Alissa Khan-Whelan, 26, and C.J. Brown, 29 — tell The New York Times they will use their viral creation to promote other causes in the future. "People have fallen in love with this egg, and Eugene the egg wants to continue to spread positive messages," Khan-Whelan said. Hulu paid the team for use of the egg, and Eugene is now a valuable commodity — Khan-Whelan said the reported $10 million valuation for partnering with the egg was "greatly exaggerated."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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