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In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s easy to miss the positive things happening around you. The virtually endless amounts of gloomy headlines make it seem like good news gets buried deep underneath. With the craziness of your fast-paced routine, even caring smiles, sincere compliments, and genuine acts of kindness tend to go unnoticed, trapping you in a never-ending cycle of gloom.

But fear not! Today, we'll swiftly balance out the scales by injecting some much-needed cheerfulness into your life. Enter the 'Wholesome Meets The Internet' Instagram page dedicated to soul-soothing and sweet stories people have shared online in hopes of lifting everyone's spirits. A brief scroll through the feed proves that not everything is as terrible as it may seem, making it an incredible platform to visit.

With over 235k followers, it has become a true powerhouse that restores faith in humanity and confirms that a simple kind gesture can make a difference. We have gathered some of the best posts to make your day a little better, so sit back, relax, and feel the positivity flowing. Keep reading to also find our interview about the importance of positive content with Deborah S. Bowen, Ph.D. Upvote pics that made you smile and share your own uplifting stories down below in the comments!

Psst! For more wholesomeness, be sure to check out earlier parts of this feature right here and here.

As much as we love the web for its endless supply of knowledge and inspiration, it can get pretty grim over here. Being bombarded with bleak headlines every time we go online can make it seem like there’s no good left in this world. We’re especially running short of positive vibes after a rough week at work, a heated argument with a spouse, or an unfortunate encounter with a rude stranger in our everyday lives.

When the digital world feels full of negativity, social media projects like 'Wholesome Meets The Internet' are here to lift our spirits and boost our belief in kindness, one post at a time. Ever since its first post in July 2019, it has been a purely refreshing platform to visit. It allows us to take some optimistic energy and put it into our own hands by devouring heartwarming stories and sweet pictures shared on the page.

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To gain more insight on how positive and negative news impact the readers, we reached out to Deborah S. Bowen, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of PR Instruction at the University of South Florida. "Most of us are familiar with the phrase, 'if it bleeds, it leads,'" she told Bored Panda. "We have an instinctual drive to seek out the scary, the awful, the unthinkable. True-crime podcasts, streaming shows about real and imagined cases … the list is weird and endless."

"Perhaps we do it because it reminds us that we’re okay; perhaps we have a dark urge that needs to be satisfied. In any case, the internet abounds with negativity, from 'trolls' to snark to the charmingly outdated 'flame wars,' we have no lack of content," Bowen added.

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xolitaire
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

oh my god I Want these as desktop icons. I want to be able to look at them all day in the office

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According to her, being on the outside of these stories or fights lights up what’s called our "negativity bias": "A psychological phenomenon recognizing that the human brain responds more vigorously to negative news than to positive news."

It looks like turning a blind eye to the darker side of life is difficult as we humans are hardwired to seek out the gloom. The negativity bias shows our tendency to give more significance to negative thoughts and experiences than positive or neutral ones. We are even inclined to focus on the negative aspects when they are insignificant.

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., psychologist and author of Hardwiring Happiness, stated that humans evolved to be fearful, and it helped keep us alive. "This vulnerability to feeling threatened has effects at many levels, ranging from individuals, couples, and families, to schoolyards, organizations and nations," he explained. To gain back control over how we perceive the world, Hanson stressed the importance of becoming aware of how our brains get so vigilant and wary.

"The alarm bell of your brain — the amygdala (you’ve got two of these little almond-shaped regions, one on either side of your head) — uses many of its neurons to look for bad news: it’s primed to go negative in most people," the psychologist wrote. "Once it sounds the alarm, negative events and experiences get quickly stored in memory — in contrast to positive events and experiences, which are not prioritized in the same way."

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But while this was a great way to survive and avoid threats in the old days, in the modern world, we don’t actually need to feel afraid or anxious all the time. If we want to lead fulfilling lives, we need to better grasp this tendency and understand that things are usually not as tragic.

That’s why we should make some room for hope in our lives. Since optimism and happiness are contagious, surround yourself with cheerful news that can help you unwind from unfortunate events happening in your life.

"There is no shortage of wholesome content online: adorable children, snuggly pets, recorded marriage proposals," Bowen told us. "But even these sweet contributions can become riddled with negativity." The professor pointed out that even when we instruct others, 'Never read the comments!', we promptly go to the comment section ourselves.

"Positive, feel-good content certainly goes viral (looking at you, Tariq the Corn Kid!), and these viralities certainly take the edge off the bad news surrounding them, but these aren’t usually good deeds or acts of kindness motivated by someone’s goodness," she added. "It would be interesting to track the ways in which positive content inspires more positive content. We might be on to a great online revolution!"

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Susie Elle
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It never even occurred to me that the color of band-aids was supposed to be skin-tone (for white people at least), until I saw this. I jus thought they were beige, because beige? So silly.

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StellaLehggs
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same here until recently. I'm white as a goddamn ghost, so they never matched my skin tone anyway. Plus, I always got the colorful ones when I could because the other ones were so boring

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Royal Stray
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think so but honestly they just really don't, just have fun a get one with patterns or something instead

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Cynday Daves
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Kitchen band aids...the good good ones .are blue so you can see them in food if they fall off, I figured that was the point of the shade they were (?) But this also is really awesome

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Kitten Dog Mom
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's about time band-aids are the right color for skin tone. But I still prefer the Ninja Turtles when I can find them. (I'm 61)

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SageHare37
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes! I think I demanded one even when I had no cut at around age 6 and wore it proudly. I need to see if I can still find the ninja turtle ones.

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Lauren Wilder
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This! I never knew I needed this until I put it on. It was a bit awkward growing up having a bandaid that was boring but also highly visible due to the coloring. Now I don't have to worry about it.

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Bob Evans
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I only use hello kitty ones…makes it less painful if it looks cute 😅

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Jaya
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I prefer those too. But I can't blame a 45 year old man if he prefers skin colored ones.

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Pieter LeGrande
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is great, unless you are in the food preparation where they use blue ones

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Stannous Flouride
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Years ago (the 70s, I think) Johnson & Johnson came out with a variety of skin-toned Band-Aids but they just didn't sell. But more recently they tried again and they have become very popular. I think it's in part because we have become more aware of the need for inclusion but mostly because images like this have gone viral. (btw- the photo above is from 2019) Screen-Sho...37-png.jpg Screen-Shot-2022-09-13-at-125114-PM-6320df5106337-png.jpg

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Wicked Moon216
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm so happy for him, but I didn't know they were supposed to match your skin either. I'm so white I'm clear, lol!!! But I used to be a hairdresser and when you cut yourself at work, no bandaid will stay on your hands with amount of water you work with. We always used crazy glue. It's the same as the "liquid bandaid" that you can buy, it's cheaper, and it works better than a bandaid!

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Staysafewarmdry
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never really saw anyone with the skin tone of the older band aids. I bought a case of skin tone crayons and donated them to the elementary school from which I recently retired.

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Bouche Clay
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even as a kid, it pissed me off that peach was called flesh. I lived in a small town where everyone looked like everyone else, but even I knew that other people had different color skin.

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Penny Kemper
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are meant to in a way, but I seriously doubt the original color matches any skin tone.

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Iffydust
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now to slug grey/white, I am not nearly as orange as the band aids want me to be

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Sammie 19
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup. I'm incredibly pale plus I'm very light sensitive so don't go out in the sun. No matter how pale the plasters are they are still darker than my skin lol. I used to wear foundation for porcelain skin but even that was a little dark lol

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Candace Woodul
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a child Crayola had a pinkish tan crayon called “flesh”. It always worried me just a little that my skin wasn’t that color. (I’m white.)

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Julie Schulz
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never realized this either until they started making them in different colors to match skin tones. But then, I'm super white so the old color didn't match me anyway. I just assumed that was the color someone picked when they first made them and no one ever changed it except to add fun colors or designs. #themoreyouknow

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Random Person
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Literally found out this was a thing about a year ago in Walmart. Thought that khaki was just the default color for the material.

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Stargazer66
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still don't know what it's like. lol. I have pale skin. I guess the clear ones kinda count. But the gauze for the wound is still white.

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Salty Wild Hair
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mine were never my skin's tone. They had big bird and cookie monster on them.

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B Jean the Jelly Bean
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think this is great. It sure matches his skin tone better than any of the ones for white people.

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Evelyn Haskins
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was young we had WHITE bandaids, NOBODY's skin colour! Then all sorts of fancy patterns and colour came in

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Kantami Blossom
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's something I never really thought about because the colour of them.has never bothered me, I actually like them being easier to see so I can spot of its not sticking/falling off(something made way easier by me being a peely wally kinda white).

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Linda Colosimo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm the complete opposite. I wear the weirdest colors or patterns I can find. I especially like my Deadpool ones.

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Niall Mac Iomera
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

After working in kitchens for a while it feels weird to not wear a bandaid that isn't bright blue

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Rosie Burzinski Breneman
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

😢. I had a coworker point this out years ago. Before that, I just thought they were “beige”

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Skylar Jaxx
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I knew they were suppose to be skin toned but it never bother me because they covered my cuts regardless. But this is still a big thing because it should blend and nobody should know where your injured.

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Mjolnir Stormbreaker
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never thought about it in my 58 years. Mom somehow always found Bugs Bunny and friends. I used those until I found my Darth Vader and friends. Working construction early on a bandage with duct tape worked great.

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W.D. Callahan
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm REALLY white, and I still don't know this pleasure. I make beige bandaids look almost brown.

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Della
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At first I thought this is a little thing, but I don't think it is. I hope your injury heals...

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Laurie Weaver
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm with Susie on this, I never thought about about skin tone. I have to say Dominique "you're rocking that band-aid"!!!

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Amber Bedard
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never even occured to me they were a skin tone either. I guess I just figured they were that color like an ace bandage too

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333
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the first BandAid I've ever seen actually match any skin tone...I wasn't aware the other ones were intended to they're so far off

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A falz
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It took me several mins to even find the band-aid. Yeah to companies finally stepping up and realizing there is more than one color

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NeitherNor
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The people here finally realising the statement behind the bandaid Nelly wore on his face

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French Fry princess
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ohhhhh.... Band aids are supposed to be skin tones?! I never thought about it.

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Michelle Smith
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am White and my Black granddaughters were thrilled when I found these.

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Kezza
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just don't cook with them on.. there's a VERRY good reason every kitchen has verry bright plasters

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Debbie Wavrunek
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The simplest example of white privilege. White privilege does not need to be taught as something kids today did wrong, but an understanding that the world is created and designed for white people (men mostly) and most white people, though not racist, just don't see it, because they are privileged enough to not have to see it in their daily lives. (I am white, and my life was not made easier because I am white, however, it has not been made harder by being black, or any other minority)

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Splattered Bug
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm white skinned, color is not a race, and I've never had a bandaid match me...I prefer the bright colored ones anyways

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Leslie Tincher
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's the little things that some of us really do take for granted....

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Jan Olsen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am white and I have never seen a bandaid that matched my skin tone

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Trish Ferguson
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm so pasty white Band-Aids don't blend in at all with my akin. Not everyone has beautiful olive skin lol. Nice they finally noticed ,☺️

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similarly
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Considering how long ago they figured out they needed to make prosthetic limbs in different tones, it's a little surprising to see how long this took.

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Hey!
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Am I the only one who still buys the Dora and Pirates even if they are for me now? PS I have regular ones too for when the kids need one when visiting.

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LiuLiu
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have light skin and band-aids always really show up on me; I just get the crazy fun designs since it is obviously not my skin

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Debi Schriner
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love this and wonder if it is rude to buy the ones made for people with darker skin tones, just to point out the many years bandaids were not in a variety of different skin tones. Spark conversations about how blind we are to such simple things as band aids being "flesh colored"

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Haley Futch
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think they were ever meant to match skin tone. I think they were just supposed to be a low tone color. I honestly don't know how this became a race thing. I'm white. Still never had a bandaid that matches my skin tone.

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Joi Cain
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And there are people up in arms about Ariel, the new Little Mermaid being Black. Little Black girls hearts sing when we see our faces attached to a character that is so beloved. This is important because brown girls carry the weight of being the backbone of a community on our spirits.

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Llama_flower93
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For everyone saying "the beige ones never even matched my skin". You are missing the point. If you put a dark brown bandaid on your skin, the eye would be drawn straight to it, and you would know it wasn't made for you. This is what black/darker skinned people have had to deal with their whole lives. The beige ones on white people, though not matching perfectly, are barely noticeable unless you look right at it, they were made to blend enough so that they wouldn't be obvious. And the fact that you are learning about this now goes to show the invisible privilege that us white people have had our whole lives. We take for granted that a necessary item was coloured to match our skin. Take to heart what this means for people of color and their being included in society in every single way, because they have not been included in that way in the past and we still have progress to make. I hate that this even has to be said. Also, black Ariel for the win!

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Crissy Brandt
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m so mad at the fact that this was not done sooner. About freaking time!

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Striving to include more happiness into our lives is important, but so is staying rounded and well-informed citizens. Because we may turn a blind eye to the darker side of the world — but that won't make it any brighter. In a bid to gather a broader perspective about the world, it is essential to try to balance out the content we consume.

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The Idaho Potato
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel as if a fine under $1 shouldn't stop someone from checking out a book. Heck, my library has a $10 limit.

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"Like most of ours, my social media is a highly curated echo chamber," Bowen said. She deliberately surrounds her online presence with accounts that reflect her values. "But like everyone else, I’ll sneak over to 'the other side' to see what ideological shifts are happening 'over there."

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"This is a great approach to understand how others perceive the world around them, but it really only works if you choose to visit legitimate news sites that will offer up potentially controversial content in a journalistic, unbiased way." The professor encourages people in the States to explore US news from external perspectives and other countries. "Generally, these external sources offer content that isn’t tailored to one political 'base' or the other, offering instead a holistic approach to the bigger stories of the day."

Still. your social network may affect your mental health and well-being, especially if you have a tendency to doomscroll. As Associate Professor Bowen stated, a new addiction is rising — addiction to social media and its inherent stressors. "Studies demonstrate that even though and even when people experience stress when using these platforms, their use doesn’t decrease; in fact, it ratchets up."

In response to these feelings, hunt down all the feel-good stories and adorably cute pictures you can find. "It’s so important to take time off and away from social media, even if that means decreasing little by little over time. Make sure to practice online self-care, and a great start would be to actively seek out some of that wonderful smile-inspiring content that lets us vibe with happiness," Bowen concluded.

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Tamra
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Acts of kindness like this live on for a really long time. I still remember when a teacher bought me lunch when I was hungry once, and I'm 53 now. This is how we make a better world.

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Colin Matthews
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My wife and I live in Australia where Christmas is extremely hot. When our daughter was small we would spray canned snow prints around gumboots and scratch skid marks in to the ground where Santa's sleigh had landed. We also left out empty sunblock bottles marked Reindeer approved.

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Amy S
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When someone did this to my mother once she put my older brother on the phone, and his 8 year old self launched into monologue about transformers.

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FrillyDragon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure what a pineapple means here, but it's always nice to see dads doing hair stuff for their daughters!

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Staysafewarmdry
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Secret Santas are the best. Especially when they do not need any credit for their deeds.

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FrillyDragon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like me and my husband! Best friends became romance and now we're almost a year into marriage! Known him for 5 years, still learn something new each day. We have conversations that last hours like the poster and they span all sorts of topics.

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