By Crae Walker, Staff Writer
If you browse the internet long enough, you’ll find it can be a pretty depressing place, especially during the current state of world events. Yet, every once in a while you’ll be scrolling through your feed and see a cute picture or story that warms your heart after a long day.
This shows the power of wholesome media.
Wholesomeness comes in a variety of forms, and is widely subjective – no particular piece of content is beloved by everyone. Dictionary definitions such as “conducive to” or “promoting moral well-being” aren’t usually considered when labeling this type of content.
One widely enjoyed source of wholesome news is the cuteness that comes with animal media. Normally consisting of household pets and pictures of adorable critters, this media has dominated the internet since its creation. You also can find these photos all over social media.
Some examples include several Instagram accounts featuring animals, such as the dog account “@weratedogs” and the bird account “@crumpetdumpling.” There are even a variety of Facebook and Twitter accounts that broadcast animals, if you want to avoid those two platforms’ political squabbling. All you have to do is search “cute” in front of the type of critter you are looking for.
If you want even more variety of wholesome sources, the YouTube channel “Daily Dose of Internet” provides content explaining a number of short, interesting video clips in about three or so minutes. These clips include topics beyond wildlife, like ice caves, mustard-hating bread and a giant jump rope: You can it find here.
Another type of wholesome entertainment is “Strange Planet,” a comic both on Instagram and in print form about aliens weirdly alike to humans. These aliens perform normal earthly activities, but with a deadpan spin for comedic effect. You can find their account “@nathwpylestrangeplanet” on Instagram.
Other strips aim to encourage the reader directly with soft visuals, like the Instagram account “@chibirdart”.
There is also a strong possibility that you will find wholesomeness in the realm of children’s entertainment. Turn on a kid’s movie sometime. You might be surprisingly entertained by rewatching a Pixar film. Many of Disney’s newest stabs at animation have also been well done.
Outside of animation, movies like the original “Jumanji,” “E.T.,” “Mary Poppins” and “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” all have the potential to bring smiles to a sorrowful face.
Although the age of the Nintendo Wii is long gone, its motion-based controls can add a chaotic flavor to many games. Not to mention its friendly interface, which was designed to be inclusive for some family fun. In fact, this console, along with some others, has a wide range of sports games, LEGO games and overall less “graphic” experiences.
Even children’s books have a surprisingly calming quality about them.
Jeanne Birdsall’s book, “The Penderwicks,” is a generic tale where anyone can fall into a safe headspace. More well-known titles including “The Magic Treehouse” and even picture books such as “Where The Wild Things Are” can also find a place in your heart.
In this day and age, smiles are important. If putting on an episode of “Tom and Jerry” or “Scooby Doo” makes you feel better, don’t hesitate to kick back with some wholesome entertainment.
Junior Crae Walker can be reached at 21walkermc92@daretolearn.org.
