I know I'm not the first person to ask this question, but the online world often skews toward the negative. This is especially true on Facebook (which I admittedly don't use) and Twitter (which I use sparingly), but I think it applies almost everywhere. People who discuss bad news ("I got assaulted by an evil ninja yesterday and it hurt sooooooo much!" or "Being turned down for a job in favor of a less-qualified candidate was a bummer!") tend to get more attention and support than those who talk about happier things ("I just earned a perfect score on this obscure certification exam that people usually fail" and "All these models have a total crush on me!"). The same often applies to negative news about politics and world events, too.

Personally, I find a positive outlook to me more engaging than excessive gripiness*, but I also understand that some people are more empathetic to bad news - and, in some cases, secretly envious toward good news. What do you think is the right balance between positive and negative in online discussions?

*I am fully aware that I have just used a word that does not actually appear in the dictionary, nor does it warrant a spot in said word book.

I wish people online were positive most of the time. I do tend to get slightly annoyed by extreme online positiveness, but I stop myself because I realize that I'm only that way through mob mentality and that their positiveness will brighten my day if I let it.

Yes, but to be quite frank, being too much of anything can be really annoying on the internet.

People concentrate more on the bad things to discuss because it shows a better relateability to the common man than to an optimist/idealist. The negatives can pose more of an actual danger to oneself and requires more thought processes. And negative things are also discussed more because of a need for moral improvement.

Oh and let's not forget about a gene that handles all that.

i was gonna say something, but forget it, how about i just quote this?

Pretty sure it's mostly to avoid looking like a tall poppy