It’s not called “doomscrolling” for nothing: Many studies have shown that social media can have a negative effect on one’s mental health. With algorithms giving users more of what they click on, it doesn’t take long to get caught in a self-perpetuating loop of bad news.
Addressing the need for better vibes on social media, LG launched “Optimism Your Feed.” The global campaign, created by agency TBWA\Chiat\Day NY, encourages consumers to retrain their algorithms by proactively engaging with more positive content.
LG partnered with influencers and consulted social media experts to create a solution: a playlist of videos intentionally chosen for their uplifting qualities. With clips featuring influencers such as Tina Choi, Victoria Browne, Josh Harmon and more, the playlist aims to add a positive balance to social media feeds.
Tell me something good
A global survey commissioned by LG found that social media can be a source of anxiety. Nearly one-half of respondents (45%) reported that their social media feeds consist of an equal or greater amount of negative content than positive content. One in four (28%) claimed that negative content on their feeds has increased their anxiety, while one in five (20%) said it has made them unhappy.
“Research has shown that, left unchecked, users can go down negative rabbit holes and encounter harmful content quite quickly. One of our first lines of defense needs to be improving our digital literacy and paying more attention to how algorithms influence our online experiences,” Casey Fiesler, an information scientist and technology ethicist who consulted LG on the campaign, said in a statement.
In the campaign’s hero video, a crew of influencers directly challenges the idea that social media is intrinsically negative. With the camera moving quickly through a shared narration, each assures viewers that they have more control over their feeds than they might think, urging social media users to proactively find the good stuff.
“The algorithms on our social channel can have a big impact on the content we see online, which impacts our mental health,” Browne, one of the influencers in the campaign, said in a statement. “So much of the stigma and difficulty of tackling mental health is that it is unseen. With this campaign, we are saying you should reach out to your friends, and that we can help each other. Our algorithm should recommend content that makes us feel more connected to people, not less.”