To learn more about the importance of consuming good news, we reached out to an expert on the topic, Jonathan Widder, founder of Squirrel News, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. “In most media, negative news prevails, and solutions play a much smaller role than problems, scandals, catastrophes,” Jonathan shared. “In the short term, that attracts readers. But in the long run, many become frustrated by this imbalance.”

“There is a general need to live in a world that makes sense, at least to a certain degree, and not to have the constant feeling that the apocalypse is just around the corner,” the founder went on to explain. “Opposed to this, reports on solutions and progress show that there are many brilliant, problem-solving people out there and that many things are actually working or could work with new ideas and approaches. Thus, reading constructive news not only helps people to make better sense of the world, but it also helps to spread solutions and make the world a better place.”

We were also curious about what Jonathan loves the most about being able to share good news with people. “Spreading constructive news on solutions and progress is incredibly rewarding, as it often evokes strong positive emotions in readers,” he told Bored Panda. “Many are very grateful when they find a rare, reliable source that provides an overview on positive developments. Apart from that, it’s also very enriching to deal with promising solutions and groundbreaking changemakers on a daily basis. These people are very inspiring, and they show us how much is possible, how much positive potential there is in the world.”

And when it comes to where the Squirrel News team finds their positive stories, Jonathan says, “Our team scans a wide variety of sources each week and only picks the most relevant news on progress and solutions. We judge stories according to a number of criteria, such as the degree of innovation of a solution, its reach, scalability, credibility, understandability, neglectedness, and others. In the end, we usually narrow it down to ten news articles per issue, so people can focus on the most important and interesting stories.”

“During our work, we come across many touching stories, and some very exciting people have even been guests in our podcast,” Jonathan shared with Bored Panda. “One of them was a former homeless person in the UK who is now pursuing a university degree thanks to a special program. During our conversation, you could feel how happy he was. He had finally found the right place for himself.”

“Also very heartwarming was the story of an American NGO that donates pianos and gives free piano lessons to disadvantaged kids,” the founder continued, noting that he’s a piano player himself as well. 

“And then we interviewed an expert from India on open prisons in Rajasthan. Those prisons neither have wardens nor fences, but people still don’t run away, because they have much better conditions than in other prisons. They can see their families during the day. It was impressive to see what a difference the system made to them and how our expert, a young woman, successfully fought to expand the system throughout the whole country.”

And if you pandas are in need of more uplifting news, Jonathan says Squirrel News is certainly the place to start. “We include links to so many other outlets and have a very good overview,” he explained. “We have a mobile app, a web edition and a newsletter, so everyone should find the appropriate tool for them. It’s all free of charge and free of ads, so you don’t have to bother with paywalls and pop-ups. People can use Squirrel News as a starting point, and in case they want to read more, they can dive into the additional offer of the outlets we provide links to.”

You can find their website, along with their podcast and links to their apps, right here! 

We all know doomscrolling can’t be good for us, but sometimes, it’s just so hard to resist. Like that last cocktail when you’re out with friends that you know you’ll regret in the morning, finding ourselves caught in a cycle of consuming depressing content just leaves us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. The temptation to doomscroll and surround ourselves with negative news never seems to go away, but today, at least for the next few minutes, I urge you pandas to focus on positivity. Because we’ve got some photographic evidence that the world isn’t all bad. In fact, it actually might be pretty nice!

Like taking time out of our days to exercise, sometimes consuming uplifting news takes a bit of effort. You have to go out of your way to find it or have a sharp eye to be able to spot moments of goodness in your day. But I promise, pandas, it’s worth it. According to VicHealth, we as humans evolved to develop a “negativity bias” to keep ourselves safe from predators, so we’re programmed to fixate on negative information and experiences. Nowadays, however, this bias can make it incredibly hard to resist complaining and doomscrolling.   

It's important to actively seek out uplifting and positive information, as to not get trapped in negativity and to activate our happy hormones. “All of those happy hormones like dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, they do the opposite [of stress hormones]. They bring your blood pressure down, they improve your mental health and they reduce your chances of some chronic diseases,” VicHealth CEO Dr Sandro Demaio says. And when it comes to the benefits that wholesome news can bring us, Rhiannon Whalen-Harris, M.Ed. says that positivity supports brain health.

“When we experience positive emotions, like joy or gratitude, our brains release dopamine and serotonin, which are neurotransmitters associated with feelings of pleasure and well-being,” Whalen-Harris writes for One-Eighty. “So, staying positive can help create a positive feedback loop. And our brains are constantly rewiring themselves in response to our experiences and thoughts – a process known as neuroplasticity. That means when we focus on positive thoughts and experiences, we can actually create new neural pathways that work to reinforce positive patterns of thinking and behavior.”