Remember when the biggest Facebook-related drama involved Mark Zuckerberg sporadically deciding it was time for a new timeline design (gasp)?
RIP, simpler times.
Now, depending on the day, social media can be an endless scroll of tragic headlines and heated comment sections.
Since the 2016 election — and more recently, the National Anthem kneel controversy — it seems you’re forced to wade through 42 passive-aggressive political rants just to see your high school acquaintance’s Pinterest-worthy barn wedding (we see you, Mason jars).
Even the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas sparked heated gun-control debates on otherwise generic “thoughts and prayers” posts.
These issues are important and worth discussing, worth debating. Facebook, Twitter and the like are stunning in their ability to share information across the globe and inspire social change.
But is the day-in-day-out scrollathon of our feeds healthy? A recent study by the Harvard Business Review found that — you guessed it — the more you use Facebook, the worse you feel.
So we’ve rounded up a list of shareable ideas that are less partisan, more positive. For those times you (and your followers, friends and family) could use a break from the barrage of negativity.
Be the bearer of good news. Because fake news and bad news get old. Huffington Post has dedicated a section of its site to good news only. USA Today's Humankind section also runs positive stories worth sharing. And Good News Network is an entire website filled with uplifting fodder. One timely idea: The #Ramona saga, in which a National Public Radio editor accidentally posted a hilarious three-line story about someone (or something?) named Ramona to NPR's Facebook page, thinking it was his personal account. After realizing his mistake, deleting the post and apologizing, the page was bombarded with people thanking him for the delightful post and wanting to know more. Like, is Ramona a cat or a person?
Throwback Thursday. Ditch your awkward high school photo (or don't, because most of them are gems), and dedicate a #TBT to happier political times. Example: #TBT to that time Michelle Obama and George W. Bush hugged it out, and we all got the feels. Or #TBT to when the five living presidents got together for a library dedication ceremony and looked as if they were about to drop the hottest album of 2013. #bipartisanboyband
Up your photo game. Who doesn't love Instagram eye candy? You know, #foodporn, #wonderlust, etc., etc. Hone your amateur photog skills and give your followers something awe-worthy to swipe through. iPhone Photography School is a website dedicated to the craft. Check out its blog for tutorials, inspiration, tips and tricks. Go ahead, make your friends jealous of your journeys and Jell-O shots.
Make a meme. You too can join the ranks of viral meme accounts, albeit with slightly less sarcasm. Makeameme.org lets you choose a photo (or upload your own) and add text, spitting out a professional-looking meme. Basically anything involving "positive vibes" is a go.
Spread the animal love. There once was a time when a pregnant giraffe seemed to, if only for her gestation period, unite the internet. Can't we get back to that? The National Zoo has a live cam for its lions, giant pandas and elephants. Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle keeps an eye on its tigers, bears and bats. Find a zoo cam, and share the link with your animal-loving followers.
Quote me on that. Remember when angsty teens would post Good Charlotte song lyrics to their MySpace profile? It's like that, but less emo. Websites like Insight of the Day and Shine Text will send you a daily dollop of quotes, articles and (here we go again) positive vibes. Receive, read and pass along!
Laugh a little. You have to appreciate that "America's Funniest Home Videos" is still going strong after nearly 30 years. And it's onto something: People love to laugh. The show's blog does a feature called Friday Five — a roundup of the five funniest videos of the week, complete with fails and falls galore. Share the link, and spread the chuckles.
