With so much negativity in today's news, feel‑good stories have become pretty hard to just stumble upon on the internet.
A survey of more than 2,000 British adults found that over half (56%) actively seek out uplifting content, and nearly half (45%) agree that when they view positive stories and inspiring posts online, it improves their mood for the day.
According to the study's results, nearly one in three people turn to social media for their daily positivity boost (31%), with animal videos and memes (23%) and random acts of kindness posts (21%) being the most smile-inducing types of content.
Other popular choices include light-hearted “when things go wrong” videos (16%) and travel or holiday pictures and videos (15%).
The end of the day is usually when people do this, with bedtime (14%) being the most popular time to seek out something wholesome, followed by that brief window between waking up and getting out of bed in the morning (10%).
People spend, on average, two hours each day seeking out positive content, increasing to almost four hours for those aged 16–24. Platform of choice also differs depending on generation: while Gen Z visits TikTok as their go-to for uplifting content (42%), the 55+ age bracket is more likely to head to Facebook (70%).
However, sometimes you have to work for it. One in four (25%) scroll across different social media channels until they find something that touches them, compared to nearly 20% of people who regularly go to the same platform.
When it comes to spreading the good, 19% will send posts to their friends or family directly, or tag a friend (15%), hoping it will make them laugh (43%) or induce the same fuzzy positivity they felt themselves (30%).
It's not just habit that leads us to seek out uplifting content online. "Research shows that people viewing mental health memes report a positive experience, with the meme facilitating a humorous, often ironic take on what might be a negative situation," says Lynn Zubernis, Ph.D., a professor at West Chester University in Pennsylvania.
"That the memes are shared and others respond with agreement can be a form of peer social support and a validation of the poster’s experience. The humorous interpretations can also facilitate cognitive reappraisal of negative thoughts and experiences, helping people understand and cope with their own situations better."
