Toxic Positivity

On our sojourn on this world, we aspire to happiness as a natural course of life. Yet, we are only just humans. Our emotions tend to ricochet from happiness to sadness and hopefulness to desolation in a matter of minutes. However, in an age of social media where the dark shadow of ‘toxic positivity’ lurks insidiously, there is a pervasive emphasis on positivity. 

Toxic positivity is when we are continuously told to uphold our emotions to a more optimistic scale. We have all been taught the vast advantages of a positive outlook towards life. The glass-half-full mindset certainly has its merits but when our mood is persistently gauged against the high bar of happiness and good vibes only, we are bound to fall askew. We can no longer evade this kind of outlook, especially in social media, where it is all about presentation and validation. Especially the youths have to contend with the constant online comparison and competition from their peers when it comes to career and relationships.

The fallacy of positivity is that it diminishes every spectrum of emotions except for feelings of happiness and positivity. As a society, we believe in succeeding towards material goals and financial accomplishments. We think that such accomplishments can be achieved through a positive mindset which can then lead to happiness. We thus spin futilely in this cycle of positive mindset, achievements and happiness. Our hopes are desperately pinned on a positive, upbeat outlook. Yet, we can't fully embrace ourselves until we acknowledge negative feelings as well. Human nature has a spectrum of emotions that each requires acceptance. 

The young minds are particularly vulnerable to toxic positivity due to the constant scrolling in the terrain of social media. In an era where lives are lived online, it is stressful to constantly strive for positivity. Today, people socialise, study, work, live and even shop online. Life hinges on the binary digits of the computer codes that keep the world running through the threads of the internet. Consequently, there are cyberbullying, cyber-crimes, stress, anxiety and digital exhaustion that are alarmingly escalating. There are additional threats of the climate change crisis, loss of biodiversity and degradation of natural resources.

 Amongst all these entanglements is the repetition of mantras that keep telling us to 'be positive, look at the bright side and keep up hope.' Certainly, hope, optimism and a positive mindset can get us far but it can also bear an unexpectedly heavy toll on the young minds. It isn’t surprising that the upcoming generations have much to contend with. They have inherited a world that seems to be falling apart, environmentally, socio-economically and politically. And yet they are expected to constantly be happy, well-adjusted and content. The media tells them phrases such as 'you are enough, you are beautiful and you can do anything you put your mind to." 

However, youths need to know that sometimes we need a supporting hand or that life doesn't play fair according to the rules.  Life is instead a series of wins and losses. Youths must be taught to acknowledge their emotions for a better understanding of themselves. While positivity is an important aspect of psychology, it has to be balanced with a healthy measure of pragmatism.