LG Electronics (LG) recently on 29th May 2024, launched a global campaign called, “Optimism Your Feed“, which aims to help users bring more optimism to their social media experience by proactively engage with positive and inspiring content on their feeds.
In our current modern digital age of social media consumption and usage across various different social media platforms, the experiences can be positive and wonderful yet it can be totally opposite of this as well. As a technology writer, a visual storyteller and a content creator, I use and consume social media a lot. Sometimes, social media can be more negative and harmful than we see, it’s time changes start to take place for the better of social media.
“As a customer-focused brand, LG is a passionate champion of optimism. We aim to create positive changes in people’s lives by being intentional with our positive activities both online and in the real world,” said Kim Hyo-eun, vice president and head of LG’s Brand Management Division. “In the AI era, LG remains committed to our unwavering promise of ‘Life’s Good.’ We will continue to enhance our customers’ lives with a human-centric approach, fostering hope for a better future.”
New global survey commissioned by LG
A new global survey commissioned by LG found that social media is both a source of anxiety and a place where people turn to be entertained, keep up with friends and family, and stay informed about news and current events. According to the survey, almost half of respondents (45 percent) report their social media feeds consist of an equal or greater amount of negative content than positive content. One in four respondents (28 percent) claimed negative content on their social media feeds has increased their anxiety and one in five (20 percent) said it has made them unhappy. Other studies also suggest that algorithms often promote negative and niche conversations.
The global survey sought to understand the triggers that affect how algorithms work and how to increase your feed’s positive content. The result is the ‘Optimism your feed’ playlist of original content that, when interacted with, will pull more optimistic content into your feed (1).
‘Optimism your feed’ is part of LG’s global Life’s Good campaign, introduced last year to inspire and encourage people to approach life with an optimistic attitude.
Collaboration with global influencers
Created in collaboration with global influencers renowned for their optimistic influences including Tina Choi, Victoria Browne, Josh Harmon and more, the ‘Optimism your feed’ playlist includes over 20 short-form videos ranging from motivation to feel-good content.
Additionally, LG is consulting with social media experts including Professor Casey Fiesler, an information scientist and technology ethicist, with a PhD in Human Centred Computing. Fiesler researches and teaches in the areas of technology ethics, internet policy, and online communities, and has published on topics such as social media content moderation and recommender systems. She also educates the public on these topics as a content creator.
Social media has become an integral part of our lives, and algorithms play a significant role in the content that we see in these spaces. LG’s global playlist and campaign gives users the opportunity to see more positive and uplifting posts. By being more conscious about what we choose to engage with, we can bring stronger optimism, balance and happiness to our lives.
According to Fiesler, “Recommendation algorithms determine what we see on social media by predicting what content we are likely to engage with. These algorithms can therefore send us down ever more specific niches – for good and for bad. Research has shown that left unchecked, users can go down negative rabbit holes and encounter harmful content quite quickly. One of our first lines of defence needs to be improving our digital literacy, and paying more attention to how algorithms influence our online experiences. And the good news is that we do have some control over the input for these algorithmic predictions; if we choose to engage with optimistic content, there’s a good possibility we will see more of it.”
Victoria Browne, a global influencer and TEDx Talk speaker, said, “The algorithms on our social channel can have a big impact on the content we see online, which impacts our mental health. That’s why I’m passionate about ‘Optimism your feed’, and I hope that people use this playlist as a foundation to retrain their algorithm and encourage positivity in all aspects of their lives. So much of the stigma and difficulty of tackling mental health is that it is unseen. With this campaign, we are saying you should reach out to your friends, and that we can help each other. Our algorithm should recommend content that makes us feel more connected to people, not less.”
LG “Optimism your Feed”
You can check out LG “Optimism your feed” playlist on LG’s global TikTok channel (@lge_lifesgood) and global YouTube channel (@LGGlobal). They will later spread to various social media platforms through collaborations with influencers around the world.
More details on LG “Optimism your Feed” can be found on LG website campaign page – https://www.lg.com/global/lifes-good-in-action/
Notes:
(1) According to a global survey conducted by Dynata on behalf of LG in 2024
- Survey Methodology
- Timings: Fieldwork conducted from April 26th to May 2nd 2024
- Countries: USA, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, UAE, KSA, Vietnam, South Korea, India, Australia
- Age: People between 22 and 65 years old and weekly TikTok or Instagram users
- Sample Size: 400 respondents in the USA, 200 respondents in the rest of the markets
- Method: Quantitative questionnaire online survey through Dynata’s proprietary panel
* Information and picture courtesy of LG Electronics and APRW *