It seems easier to spot toxic content on social media. People may even become hostile towards each other for no reason at all, because they want to be “trolls.” However, things are shifting toward the opposite direction, and industry experts are noticing it.
According to B&T Creative’s co-founder and creative director Brian Farkas, people are “over” the cynical stuff, especially in today’s social and political climate.
“With the world as it is today, people are turning to wholesome humor to feel good and simply have a laugh and smile at a time when everything feels more and more uncertain,” Farkas told Bored Panda. “Clean memes offer an escape from the doomsday and the political themes that often dominate the news cycle.”
Riley Gardiner, a PR expert and founder of No Strings Public Relations, describes wholesome content as “low-risk social glue.” As he explained, it’s because it is easier to share across all audiences without the inherent concern that it will be misread, screenshotted, or dragged into an argument.
That shift also reflects how online spaces have matured. A lot of users still want humor, but they are less interested in humor that creates collateral damage in the comments or sparks pile-ons,” Gardiner said.
Social media algorithms are a double-edged sword. While they remember the type of content we consume, they also shape our worldview. This could be for the worst if we often consume content that is both misleading and divisive.
“Consciously engaging with wholesome content curates your social feed for a more positive online experience,” Farkas said.
Many online users associate humor with having shock value. Farkas said these two don’t necessarily have to be mutually exclusive, because it depends on how we convey the message.
“Humor isn't about shock value – it's about truth, delivered in an unexpected way,” he explained. “Focusing on ‘unexpected delivery of truth’ opens many more creative doors than just relying on shock value or offensive humor.”
Apart from surprise, Gardiner says wholesome humor also thrives from clarity. As he points out, memes land well when they are instantly recognizable on a small screen and deliver a “quick twist.”
