The Giving Everyday Instagram account is part of the Giving Everyday Charitable Trust, a project dedicated to spreading positive news and lifting up Americans' spirits by sharing random acts of kindness. "We hope to offer an alternative to the negativity by offering news story ideas of acts of kindness and charity to local, regional and national news organizations," they claim on their website.

The creators of Giving Everyday started the project during the COVID-19 pandemic. Or, as they say, at the time when most of us needed at least a nugget of positivity in our lives. "We were struck by the outpouring of goodness we saw in American society – from widespread public shows of appreciation to healthcare workers, to neighbors helping each other deal with the ravages of this insidious disease, to strangers helping others in both small and monumental ways," the project's creators write.

At a time when America (and the world) seemed to be more divided than ever, the Giving Everyday project sought to highlight the ways in which we're similar. "The acts of kindness and charity we share serve to remind Americans of who we are at our core – the helpers, the givers, the supporters – and ultimately show us that we are stronger than we give ourselves credit for," the creators claim.

At the same time, they admit that their vision might seem somewhat utopian. "We know it may appear that we are naïve and full of wishful thinking, but perhaps returning to a more innocent time is just what we need to rebuild what has been splintering."

The Reuters Institute 2024 Digital News Report findings show that more and more people are experiencing news fatigue. 39% of their respondents claimed that they feel 'worn out' by the amount of news these days. People say that it seems like all the media is covering nowadays is wars, disasters, and politics. The researchers also report being told that the negative nature of the news makes folks feel anxious and powerless.

However, there's a discrepancy between what we say we want and what we actually do. In 2014, researchers studied whether people click on good news articles more than they do on negative ones. Interestingly, even if they said they preferred good news, they still clicked more on headlines with negative words in them.

Most of us are already familiar with negativity bias: we react more strongly to negative news than we do to positive news. But how can we fight it, and how can we build resilience to "doom-scrolling," "headline anxiety," and "headline stress disorder"? The APA claims that a "media restriction diet" is a good way to start.

In a previous interview, licensed psychologist Nathan Brandon, Psy.D., explained to Bored Panda that people should curate their social media experience to avoid unnecessary stress. "This involves actively choosing to follow accounts that align with your values and unfollowing toxic or triggering content. It can also be beneficial to turn off notifications for news stories that may create anxiety so you can read them when you're ready rather than being bombarded with them throughout the day," he said.

Matthew Price, PhD, claims that people should be more proactive on the issues they care about as well. "What sort of values does the patient want to strive for, and then what can they actually do to achieve, to work toward those values,” Price explained. "Scrolling more on Twitter is not going to be in service of that value, or of any value that one might have."

Another way to combat bad news fatigue is random acts of kindness. Which, scientists say, can be contagious. In 2023, researchers from UCLA’s Bedari Kindness Institute conducted a study where they found out that watching videos of people doing good deeds inspires others to do good as well. After watching Unsung Hero videos, the participants gave 25% more to charity than the control group.

So, in a way, we can say that kindness is contagious. Katelyn Millinor, LPC, explains that doing kind acts lights up the pleasure center of our brain and releases serotonin (the happiness hormone) and oxytocin (the love hormone). So, being kind not only feels good but is actually good for you.

And what about you, Pandas? Did these feel-good stories inspire you to do some good deeds? Share a recent kindness you received or gave someone else in the comments, and maybe that'll inspire someone else to do the same! And if you're looking for some more wholesome content, check out older people from "Retirement Homies" giving some humorous life advice!