Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Some of you may have seen the 100 Happy Days challenge that is spreading like butter on toast through social media. The challenge is a call to action for those of us whose lives are scheduled from the time we take up until the time we go to bed: do we have time to be happy? A happiness challenge may seem like a simple strategy, but 100 Happy Days has found a niche that makes them successful in engaging with social media users all over the world. Here’s how:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
1. 100 Happy Days weeds out negative social media “noise”. While social media can sometimes cause FOMO (fear of missing out) or the negative effects of watching someone else’s “highlight reel” while sitting on your couch, the 100 Happy Days challenge is having a positive effect on social media users. This is different from the frequent venting or cyber-bullying that we see on a daily basis in our social media spheres.
2. 100 Happy Days has no boundaries. There is no need for vivid description, captions, or even translation. 100 Happy Days is a universal challenge that applies to people all over the world. Just one scroll through the #100happydays hashtag on Instagram shows how over one million different people interpret the meaning of this word, and it universalizes happiness for everyone from India to the Philippines.
3. It provides actual benefits to participants. 100 Happy Days claims that participants who complete the challenge become more optimistic about their lives, start receiving more compliments, and (believe it or not) fall in love. Regardless of whether or not you believe their claims, the challenge encourages its participants to find happiness in small things and appreciate the present moment. Even on a stressful day, I take pause for a moment or two and look around me to showcase simple things: my outfit for the day, successful DIY projects, books I am reading, and even a piece of art.
4. It’s not a competition. Since starting the challenge, I’ve seen more interaction on my personal social media outlets and have noticed a number of my friends taking on the pledge, making this an encouraging environment for sharing the positive. Instead of humble bragging about how great my life is, 100 Happy Days allows me to channel my happy thoughts into one post per day, focusing on the simple things that bring me happiness.
Overall, 100 Happy Days provides us with an innovative example of how to use social media to create positive social interaction among users. Instead of being branded as a photo contest where the photo with the most “likes” wins and the others lose, the challenge makes a positive connection to the user and validates their activity on social media. Even more interesting: there is no specific brand, company, or account attached to 100 Happy Days. The challenge operates as an organic movement rather than a branded one, moving quickly through feeds all over the world. It’s a sign that times are changing, and our corporate and personal brands on social media need to take note: happiness is catching. What are you doing to highlight the positive in your social media use? How can happiness play a role in what we are already doing to promote our cause, organization, or personal brand?
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
