The New Positivity in Social Media: How People Are Flocking to Better Worlds

You know that feeling when you walk into a café and instantly know it’s going to be a great spot?

That perfect mix of atmosphere, people, and energy?

That’s exactly what I’m seeing happen across social media right now, and as a marketer, it’s incredibly exciting.

I mean, think about it – who’d want to hang out in a café where people are screaming at each other all the time or where someone might suddenly stab you in the back with a rolled-up newspaper (hello, unexpected nasty DM)?

Yet, somehow, we accepted this as normal in our digital spaces for years. But looking back at 2024, something shifted.

We’re watching people do something remarkable: they’re not just choosing platforms anymore – they’re actively creating and choosing cultures, communities, and the kind of digital environments where they actually want to spend their precious time (there are even apps now erasing hate speech from your Instagram DMs, hello!? Can it be good that this is necessary?).

The Great Migration: People Are Voting With Their Time

Let’s talk about what’s actually happening out there.

The social media landscape of early 2025 is fascinating – people aren’t just rage-quitting toxic platforms (which they do – like: A LOT), they’re actively seeking out places that make them feel good. And honestly? It’s about time.

Take Pinterest – remember when everyone thought it was just for wedding planning and DIY crafts?

Well, look at them now: 450 million monthly users sharing 240 billion pins of stuff that makes them happy. At the Cannes Festival of Creativity in 2024, they didn’t show up with fancy digital metrics – they brought real people doing real creative stuff.

And for us marketers still cursing at Google’s latest updates (I feel you!), Pinterest is turning into this amazing space where people actually want to discover new things.

Where The Good Vibes Are Happening in Early 2025

Each platform is developing its own personality, kind of like different neighbourhoods in a city:

Bluesky: Where You Can Actually Have a Conversation

Remember when we could disagree online without it turning into a dumpster fire? That’s what’s happening on Bluesky. People are having actual discussions, sharing thoughts longer than a sneeze, and – get this – being respectful about it. Wild, right?

Threads: The Chill Corner

Marketing folks initially rolled their eyes at Threads (guilty as charged!), but 100 million people in five days? They were onto something. It’s become this space where you can… hang out. No pressure to be profound, no need to start a revolution. Just people being people. Small talk has it’s reasons for existing… so yeah: why not?

Pinterest: Where Dreams Don’t Get Shot Down

Beyond the vision boards and DIY fails (we’ve all been there), Pinterest has become this incredible playground for creativity. Nobody’s there to tell you your idea is stupid – they’re there to help you make it better or show you how they did something similar.


The Hidden Treasures of Nice Internet

Some of the best spots for actual human interaction are hiding in plain sight:

Facebook Groups: The Cozy Clubs

Okay, yes, the main feed on Facebook can be a bit… much. But have you seen what’s happening in the groups? There’s this fabulous “Dull Women’s Club” where people get excited about everyday stuff without anyone making fun of them. Literature groups where you can actually geek out about books. Art communities where beginners get encouraged instead of criticized. It’s like finding little coffee shops in an otherwise noisy city.

Substack: The New Coffee House for Thinkers

(I can almost smell the coffee in a Vienna coffee house once I enter there, can you relate?)

This is where the cool kids who actually read stuff are hanging out now. Want to get Paul Krugman’s take on economics without the comment section turning into a warzone? Or read Elif Shafak’s thoughts about storytelling? It’s all there, ad-free (for now), and surprisingly… nice.

YouTube: The Internet’s Town Square

Here’s something that started during the pandemic and has just kept getting better: YouTube turned into this amazing place where people just… share their best stuff. World-class DJs dropping sets for free, yoga teachers helping people stay sane, and musicians playing their hearts out. You can stumble of Sting live in a fabulous Paris church setting – how is that after dinner?

Check out the comments under any good meditation video – it’s enough to restore your faith in humanity. People wish each other well, sharing their stories and supporting complete strangers through tough times.

And here’s what I love about YouTube’s approach – they didn’t try to algorithm their way to success. They just got out of the way and let creators do their thing. (Take notes, other platforms!)

People Getting Creative With Revolutionary Kindness

The really cool stuff happens when people start working around platform limitations to spread positivity. Have you seen the #cutewinterboots thing on TikTok? It looks like innocent fashion content but it’s actually people finding creative ways to discuss important immigration issues. Over on RedNote, Chinese users are welcoming Americans with friendly bilingual greetings – when was the last time you saw that kind of organic cross-cultural connection?

Fellow Marketers, This is Our Moment

Look, as someone who’s been in the trenches of social media marketing, I can’t help but get excited about what’s unfolding here. We’re finally seeing what happens when people have spaces to just be nice to each other, share their enthusiasm, and lift each other up. And you know what? This is exactly what makes our job as marketers not just easier, but actually fun.

Think about it: Instead of navigating through endless arguments and negativity, we’re seeing people create spaces where they can:

  • Share what makes them happy without getting cynical responses
  • Help each other out just because they can
  • Get excited about common interests without being mocked
  • Actually have fun together online (remember when that was a thing? like… in real life!?)

The Plot Twist Nobody Saw Coming

Remember January 2024? We were all betting on which platform would implode next, and “toxic hellscape” was everyone’s favorite description for social media. Fast forward to now, and it’s like watching the end of a teen movie where the mean kids’ table suddenly emptied out because everyone found better places to hang.

What changed?

For one, we got tired.

Tired of random strangers picking fights in our comments.

Tired of that weird uncle’s conspiracy theories.

Tired of perfectly filtered lives making us feel bad about our perfectly normal ones.

But more importantly?

Lots of us remembered we have a choice.

How 2024 Flipped The Script

You know what’s been fascinating to watch over the past year? The speed of this shift. Remember early 2024, when we were all doom-scrolling through predictions about AI taking over and democracy collapsing? Yet here we are in 2025, watching people actively

choose and create spaces that feel more like a cosy dinner party than a gladiator arena.

The numbers tell the story: Pinterest’s crafting communities grew by 40% last year. Pinterest went from “that place where I save things I’ll never make” to the go-to spot for actually doing stuff. Their DIY videos aren’t just aspirational anymore – people are actually building, creating, and sharing their (sometimes hilariously imperfect) results.

Substack went from “newsletters nobody reads” to “Wait, all my favorite writers are there now?” and “Wait, is this where all the smart people went?”

The platform’s blend of thoughtful content and troll-free comment sections proved that, yes, people will actually pay for civil conversation. BeReal evolved from “showing your unfiltered self” to “hey, social media can actually be fun again”.

It’s like we collectively remembered that social media was supposed to be, well, social.

Our 2025 Plot Predictions

Since we’re all friends here, let me put on my marketing fortune-teller hat (it’s very fashionable, trust me) and share what I’m betting on:?

Looking ahead (and putting on my marketing fortune-teller hat), here’s what I’m excited about:

  • More “digital garden parties” – spaces designed specifically for good vibes and actual conversations. Imagine walking into a party where everyone’s friendly and interested in what you have to say… but now online!
  • The rise of what I’m calling “kindness tech” – more tools and features designed to promote positive interactions. Because apparently we needed to invent technology to help us be nice to each other online (what a time to be alive, right?)
  • Brands finally getting that they don’t need to be the loud party crasher who brings a megaphone to a coffee shop. Instead, they can be that cool friend who brings snacks and has interesting stories to share

And you know what? I think we’ll see even more platforms realizing that being the equivalent of that bar where there’s always a fight breaking out isn’t great for business. Who knew?


Where are you finding your happy corners of the internet these days? Drop a comment below – let’s share the good stuff!*


Resources & Further Reading

Resources ref. Data & Statistics

  • Digital 2025 Global Overview Report (WeAreSocial & Hootsuite) – Social media usage and trends
  • Pinterest Investor Relations: Q4 2024 Report – User growth and engagement statistics
  • “Social Media Use and Mental Health” – Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology (2023)
  • Pew Research Center: “Social Media Habits and Mental Well-being in 2024”

Additional Reads We Found Insightful

  • The Rise of Digital Safe Spaces” – Harvard Business Review (December 2024)
  • From Doom-Scrolling to Joy-Scrolling: The Evolution of Social Media” – Wired (January 2025)
  • The Business Case for Platform Positivity” – MIT Sloan Management Review (2024)
  • How BeReal Changed the Social Media Game” – The Atlantic (2024)
  • The Digital Wellness Movement” – TechCrunch (2024)
  • Understanding Social Platform Migrations” – Nielsen Digital Consumer Report 2024

For our fellow data nerds: All statistics and studies cited are from 2023-2025. If you’re reading this later, remember to check for updated numbers!

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ABOUT the AUTHOR
KRISTIN REINBACH

Hi there, I am Kristin, a marketer, brand builder and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience. I am also the founder behind Ägile Ässets and here I share any news, sometimes ponderings and interesting brand building and social media stuff. Sign up so you don’t miss the next one!

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