"It's hard to believe but some good things did happen online 2025. Scrolling around the internet these last 12 months hasn't always been a pleasant experience - our timelines were full of AI slop, recession fears, and misinformation. But good things did manage to happen, too. Mashable has kept tabs on uplifting digital stories with our Good Connection series. And if you need a timeline cleanse to end 2025, we've got eight online stories from this year that'll do just the trick."
"1. The 'Ask an Axolotl' earworm January feels like ages ago by now, but it was the month we were all humming along to a little ditty about an axolotl. TikTokker @doctor_waffle posted a video about the adorable amphibian. It's cute and so, so catchy. Sure, the song was clearly intended for children but it seemed to soothe anyone with a pulse."
"When Rachel Rose, the owner of Buddies Coffee Roasters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, sobbed on camera, there was no way she could've predicted the response. She was going to lose the place she worked so hard for, and her emotion was real and raw. People r allied in response, absolutely flooding Buddies with business. Even celebs like Joe Jonas showed up. Lines wrapped around the block."
Uplifting online moments in 2025 offered relief amid AI noise, recession worries, and misinformation. A catchy TikTok song about an axolotl became a viral earworm that soothed broad audiences despite being aimed at children. A viral plea from Rachel Rose mobilized community support for Buddies Coffee Roasters, drawing long lines and celebrity attention even though the shop ultimately closed; Rose's roasting business remains active. Oscar season highlighted a romantic origin story when Colman Domingo's meeting with his husband traced back to a Craigslist Missed Connection. Eight curated online stories exemplified joyful, connective moments across the internet.
Read at Mashable
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