“See The Unseen”: 50 Weird And Wonderful Things Shared By This Online Community

‘Weird & Interesting Things You Must See’ is a relatively new addition to the internet, created just a few months ago in May. Despite its recent start, the page has already attracted 87K followers. To find out what makes the group so special, Bored Panda spoke with two of its admins, Kushani Gunathilaka and Hasitha Eranga.

“This is a community where you can always expect the unexpected,” Kushani tells us. “It’s never boring and always exciting. From seeing walruses on floating couches to structural marvels like the Ouse Valley semi-circular arches that have used millions and millions of bricks, the group is all about interesting, entertaining, and informative content. You laugh, you enjoy, you feel, you relate and you even learn things here. All of this makes the community an enjoyable space for me and surely for the rest of the members.”

“When we’re curating content for our group, we’re on the lookout for things that will surprise and delight [our followers]. We’re not just looking for the same old familiar topics—we want to find stuff that will make them go ‘Huh, I've never seen this before!’ or ‘Wow, I never thought about it that way!’” says Hasitha. “That’s what we mean by ‘weird.’ It might be something that challenges our assumptions, pushes us out of our comfort zone, or simply makes us laugh.”

The admins enjoy the posts in the group just as much as its members. One of Kushani’s recent favorites is about Wally the Walrus, who was given a floating couch to stop him from sinking boats. “Who would’ve thought, right? It’s weird but also interesting because it shows harmony between nature and humanity.”

She also had a great laugh at a photo of a man standing in front of a “Draw Bridge Ahead” sign. Instead of taking it as a warning for an upcoming drawbridge, he made a joke by drawing an actual picture of a bridge. “He took the sign a little too literally, and it’s pretty hilarious.”

Why do so many of us love to get lost in the endless stream of weird and amusing posts on the internet? Bored Panda reached out to clinical psychologist and founder of The Travel Psychologist, Dr Charlotte Russell, to get her perspective.

“As humans, we naturally seek out new and interesting things because we are hard-wired for it,” says Russell. “In modern life, we are often faced with routines that can be mundane or repetitive, and so people like to look at interesting content to break the monotony.”

“There’s also an element of escape in looking at weird or funny clips and photos. When we’re having a tough day and need to unwind, turning to this kind of content can be a helpful way to manage feelings of overwhelm.”

Kushani agrees that the internet can offer a refreshing break from the predictability of daily life, providing a touch of excitement instead. “That’s what people need,” she says. “They want to escape the ordinary. And what better place to do it than online? Through social media platforms, you can live vicariously through the experiences of others.”

And it’s no wonder we feel so uplifted as we scroll through the internet—our brains reward us with happy emotions whenever we encounter something new. “Novelty seeking is linked to a neurochemical called dopamine, which is part of our brain’s reward centre,” explains Russell. “This means that occasionally coming across a funny or interesting post can give us a little boost. However, this effect will lessen if we engage with this type of content too habitually, so it’s worth keeping an eye on how much you’re consuming. As with anything in life, moderation is the key.”

Of course, cutting down on screen use can be challenging, especially since it’s such an easy way to combat boredom or manage stress. But Russell encourages having other coping methods in place to prevent spending too much time online from negatively impacting your mood. “Make sure you have other coping strategies such as exercise, social support, relaxation techniques and taking positive action when needed,” she advises.