I've grown increasingly concerned by a trend I'm seeing in social discourse: a rise in disillusionment and negativity, resulting in widespread apathy. A malaise seems to have settled across much of the public. From conversations with friends to discussions in my YouTube comments, I've been struck by the defeatist tinge coloring so many sentiments.

I do not fault anyone for adopting this attitude. The truth is, our current cultural climate breeds this type of thinking to a certain extent. The reality is we live in an attention and addiction-based economy. Social media platforms, the internet before them, and the TV industry before that, were all built upon the premise that by capturing and holding our attention, these media companies could sell our active, engaged eyeballs to advertisers. (There’s much more nuance here but I hope you don’t mind that I’m simplifying things for the sake of this essay). And the public agreed, largely unknowing of the full context of the trade-off they had just made.

These media companies are predominantly publicly held and driven by profit. To maximize their profit, they need to capitalize on and extract as much attention as possible from consumers. And unsuspecting internet scrollers are getting manipulated by the longstanding psychological phenomenon ‘the negativity bias.’ You can directly see this in online news consumption: negative sentiment headlines garner higher click-through rates than positive or neutral stories. But I posit that the impact of this extends far beyond what headlines we click on. When we are constantly bombarded with negativity, it doesn’t just shape what we consume… it shapes how we think and feel, and can reshape our worldview over time.

This relentless exposure creates the overwhelming sense that the world is spiraling out of control, leading many to believe they are powerless to change anything. And that feeling of powerlessness is where the real damage happens. If you’re like me, you’ve probably had at least one conversation with a friend in recent months or years where they’ve expressed a vague, all-encompassing stress about ‘everything going on in the world.’ The common thread in these discussions is a feeling of powerlessness (what psychologists call an 'external locus of control') where people feel their lives are primarily determined by forces outside themselves rather than by their own actions. Social media power users and deep internet surfers are so inundated with stressors and negative notifications day in and day out that they can lose their sense of personal agency.

Now that the scene is set, here’s my point: In a world saturated with gloom and negativity, embracing optimism is the ultimate contrarian stance.

There is a dearth of positive voices in the media and in our local communities. People feel disconnected and lonely. But we do not have to accept this reality and each of us can be the ones to fill that void.

It’s unfortunate that, these days, the idea that you can choose what you engage with -and choose your mindset - feels almost radical. In certain social circles, keeping up with the 'crisis du jour' has become a strange form of social currency. Not participating can even invite judgment. But what I have slowly come to realize in my 28 years on this planet is that reeling in and internalizing our locus of control is a subtle yet powerful way to combat the constant negative noise. Showing up in your community with positivity, optimism, and genuine curiosity is the perfect antidote to doom.

Optimism isn't about ignoring reality or pretending everything is fine - it's about refusing to let negativity dictate your outlook. I've come to see that we can acknowledge very real problems while still maintaining hope and agency. The more you train yourself to embrace your autonomy, find beauty in the small things, and build positive relationships around you, the more you contribute to a culture that values hope over despair.

It’s easy to feel powerless in an era where so much seems out of our control. But it’s important to remember that this feeling is deliberately exacerbated by companies that stand to profit from it. One thing we can control is how we show up in the world. We can choose to be voices of curiosity rather than cynicism. We can engage with ideas that inspire rather than those that drain us. And we can cultivate communities - both online and offline - that encourage resilience, creativity, and connection.

If negativity and apathy are the default, optimism is the true rebellion.