“I think that ‘wholesome’ means something different to Gen Z, free from those outdated connotations,” says Julia Mathews, the president of KCL Wholesome Society. “The word ‘wholesome’ now reflects something more positive, accepting, and feel-good."
Mathews believes that this is in part due to Gen Z’s awareness of the importance of wellbeing and mental health, along with "a desire for positivity in a world with increasingly negative mainstream content.”
Wholesome content is to our brain what comfort food is to our body and soul. But some experts say wholesome content is not the same as comfort content.
“While comfort content can include lots of random content designed to numb your brain and distract from stress, wholesome content has more substance and feels actively nourishing,” explains Letty Cole, creative strategist at MØRNING and editor of Burn After Reading.
Cole believes it's a really sweet trend because it’s tentatively optimistic.
"Lots of wholesome content celebrates the joy in life, like the feeling of awe when you see a video of a cool sea creature, or the satisfaction you get from watching someone make a nice meal, or the gratitude you feel when you connect to nature (even if via your phone screen),” says Cole.
So if you're feeling a whole lot better after scrolling through these posts, you may have found your daily elixir to inspire joy and happiness.
