It's not always sunshine and rainbows in the media industry, but when it is, it's undeniably
refreshing for the soul. No matter what platform you're using, hope always seems to follow and inspire you when you did not know you needed it!
So, follow along as we take a look at everything hope-scrolling.
First of all, what is hope-scrolling?
It is the exact opposite of doom-scrolling, which is a digital downward spiral in negative news. Hope-scrolling is when you
purposefully and
intentionally seek out uplifting and positive content on social media and other platforms.
This is done to:
- boost your mood
- inspire positivity, and
- restore your faith in humanity (only joking a little bit with this last one).
During challenging times, hope-scrolling can be a source of
comfort and
inspiration, reminding us that there is still goodness and kindness in the world.
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk and activist, perfectly explained the importance of this in the quote, "Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today."
Why seek out positive news?
Contrary to popular belief, it is not always a good thing to stay up to date with the news. This is especially if the news is affecting your
mental health and
outlook on life. According to
Eric Patterson, "Too much news can affect your mental health in direct and indirect ways. Exposure to bad news increases stress."
But if you aren't purposefully
doom-scrolling and the news is just bad in general, you need to find a counterbalance.
Hope-scrolling is that
counterbalance. Cute animal videos might boost your mood, and funny fail videos might make you laugh, but countering bad news with positive news can help to restore your faith that not everything is terrible.
Just as one would cut out bad habits for your physical health, the same can be said about bad news and one's mental health. Researchers suggest that hope-scrolling can be a powerful tool for
self-care and
emotional well-being.
How can you participate?
To ditch the gloom and step into a more positive outlook with the social sphere, individuals can start to seek out social users who post about the
positive side of life. These good doers can remind you that there is a rainbow after the storm and that sometimes not everything is so terrible.
Following hashtags that only focus on good news ('#GoodNews', '#PositiveNews') will also drastically change the way your 'for you page' looks. In the sea of negative content, a good and happy story might just be able to break the gloomy mood mid-scroll.
Another option is to subscribe to
online publications that only talk about hopeful content. This means that you aren't cutting out the news completely, but rather that you are finding balance in your consumption.
Seek out uplifting communities. It is easy to be down in the dumps by yourself, but it is much harder when people are reminding you about the better things in life. Join an online group that is focused on happy and good content to surround yourself with people that have a similar positive outlook on life.
An important side note to remember is this:
If you cannot find good, uplifting news, then you might as well
be the one to start sharing hope with the rest of the digital sphere. Being a content creator that looks for the positive side of life might just be what everyone needs!
Are you a hope-scroller? If you are, what tools do you use do to counter the negative news? Share your tips and tricks in the comments section below.
If you are not a hope-scroller, could you perhaps be a doom-scroller? If you are unsure of what doom-scrolling is, find out more here with our article, Doomscrolling: the what, the why and the how.
*Image courtesy of Canva