What’s up with Moo Deng?
Good things are hard to come by on the Internet, which is why we need little treats like Moo Deng, and other wholesome trends, to swoop in and save the world’s collective mood. Radiant positivity is powerful enough to temporarily expel even the scariest of headlines, and while Internet-goers are slogging through the mud-slinging and the muck, wholesomeness finds a way to pierce through in the form of viral phenomenons. As a shining beacon of hope, we cling to simplicity and charm, like we’ve done with Moo Deng the pygmy hippo (and so many others before her). Because at the end of a long, hard day, distracting ourselves with an adorable animal, or a baby biting their brother’s finger, or ‘Corn Kid,’ or even just a heartwarming cat video, can salvage the last shred of goodness clinging to our feed.
Via u/junkee
You can’t scroll for 5 seconds without seeing something about Moo Deng. But why is this hippo taking over every meme channel, live feed, and minor news outlet? Because she is the epitome of simplicity and innocence. It’s not about the hippo herself, because let’s be frank, there are a lot of cute animals out there. With Moo Deng, it’s that X-factor of wholesome virality that’s turned her into a sensation–we subconsciously gravitate towards these simple little pleasures online because of positivity’s ability to outshine the negativity of being perpetually plugged in.
Besides, there’s something special about this creature’s aura and her multifaceted charm that speaks to everyone in a different way. It doesn’t stop at hippo content, wholesome trends in general are humanity’s guilty pleasure and act as our ‘little treat’, rewarding ourselves daily for surviving the harsh realities of the real world.
Via u/beigecardigan
Distract, Deflect, Deviate
Be real–Memes are a distraction from real life.
Despite what toilet-bowl scholars want to believe about their doom-scrolling and online “research,” being perpetually online is a time-wasting activity that we all take part in and is having an effect on us psychologically. What kind of things are you looking at when you scroll? War, famine, tragedy, local catastrophes? I bet that’s making you a little anxious, unsettled, and it may even be the reason you can’t sleep. (That, plus your phone being on maximum brightness at 2 AM as you scroll from under your bed sheets.)
But alas, there is hope out there! Wholesome memes and trends provide a new angle, breaking up the negativity of mainstream media—which some say is geared to fear monger, shock, or turn real events into a spectacle. While it seems that our earth is a rapidly sinking ship, there are still shreds of virtue that grace our timeline that keep us entertained, distracted, and uplifted, heroically swooping in to save humanity from getting entirely bogged down by the toxic echo chambers of our feeds.
Via u/madame_cha0s
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
When we are little kids, we are taught that all villains are BAD and all heroes are GOOD, but in the happy ending of the story, good always conquers evil. Childish simplicity is intoxicatingly straightforward, isn’t it? But the one thing everyone learns as they grow up is that the world is far from black and white. Sifting through the mists of grayish content overstimulation, good news gets violently outshined by the bad and as some people would argue, inherent goodness isn’t going to change the outcome of our day, but bad news might. As Amina Khan, a scientific journalist for the LA Times, says in her article, “For one thing, it can be much riskier to ignore negative information (a storm is coming) than good news (a dog rescued a boy from a tree). Paying attention to negative news, the researchers said, is generally an effective survival strategy.”
So which is more important?
Although the bad news is the necessary evil we need to stay informed about what’s happening in the world, it’s the good headlines that keep humanity from losing hope entirely. Obviously, Moo Deng and other wholesome trends aren’t going to solve the world’s ingrained problems, but without a little goodness in our day, what’s to stop us from mirroring the negativity in the world around us? When it comes to our “happy endings,” it’s the good news on our feeds that inspires us to do better and be better, which is a severely underappreciated predisposition, yet it’s priceless.
Duality of Man
Believe it or not, survival psychology plays a role in what we get shown everyday online. Our survival instincts are wired to pay extra attention to things that may cause us harm or discomfort, since “people pay more attention to negative news than to positive news” according to Khan, inflammatory headlines are what bring the eyeballs (and the dollars) to the news outlets. I’m not putting an aluminum foil hat on just yet, but surely money is a factor in decision-making for any business, even those allegedly bound by “journalistic integrity.” So when shareholders are asking for 150% viewership year-over-year, peace-bringing, joyful stories get kicked right out the window. Even as you actively seek positivity online, it seems that the only time we can enjoy something pure and delightful is when the Internet gods smile down upon us, sending forth angels like Moo Deng to uplift our spirits. People become attached and devoted to these trends, smiling a little more with each silly meme, and new updates about their favorite wholesome trend. Since our brains are wired to prioritize a fear response over a peaceful one, when we see a shred of unbridled happiness online, it’s a treat.
Via u/moistbuddha
Bait and switch
Whether we’re talking Moo Deng, Corn Kid, “Brother Ew,” or the classic “Charlie bit me” video, wholesome trends hit our feeds in waves. As a reaction to the darkness online, it seems like humanity’s need for a buoy brings forth a new era of wholesome virality. Although it feels out-of-touch to unplug our brains from the serious nature of our newsfeeds, we as a species can’t be steeping in negativity all day without feeling the consequences in our body and soul. That’s why we need this wholesomeness to grace our feeds, no matter how benign and useless they seem, it’s the revitalizing lifeblood that keeps us tapped into the vein of this world without going into a downward spiral.
Moo Deng and Corn Kid feel just as important as election updates, stock exchange snippets, and news of rapidly rising housing costs. Balancing our collective mood, memes can be the flash of radiant positivity that tips the scales in our favor, potentially prompting the smile or cheap laugh that gets a person motivated to continue on in this cruel world. To be human is to toe the line between good and evil, so when a bouncing, portly little hippo skitters into your timeline, accept her with grace and defend her innocence wholeheartedly.
