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Hey media clowns, traditional and social media, and of course bloggers and podcasters.

You can play an extremely important role in creating a world of Love, because you can spread the word about The Flow of Love!

Micko thinks we can build a World of Love by forming a Swarm movement. Like ants and termites and others, except they are programed to do their thing and we can choose to do our thing by working with others to spread Love Flow across out world.

And as a media clown you are in a great position to help create our swarm movement!

In the following slideshow Micko will present what researchers say about different types of media and how they can orient their product toward positive, world-changing content.

(Much of the information the slideshow below presents came from the book Introduction to positive media psychology, by Arthur A. Raney, Sophie H. Janicke-Bowles, Mary Beth Oliver and Katherine R. Dale.

Please check out the slideshow and ponder how you might add positive stuff to your media presence!

You might even win a Pulitzer prize!

This is professor ZoZo. Professor ZoZo has been reserching Love Flow. Wouldnt you love to interview Professor ZoZo on your talk show or podcast or evening news, or 60 Minutes?

Table of Contents

You can click the black dots under the text of each slide to get to the slide listed here.

  1. Hello Clowns!
  2. Some questions for you
  3. Does your media work influence your audience in a positive way?
  4. 3 types of clown well-being
  5. Hedonic entertainment
  6. Meaningful media
  7. Transcendent media
  8. News and Nonfiction
  9. News and Nonfiction continued
  10. Narrative and Persuation
  11. Narrative and Persuasion continued
  12. Websites
  13. Social Media
  14. Digital media and Virtual Reality
  15. Digital media and Virtual Reality continued
  16. Digital media and Virtual Reality continued again
  17. Bloggers
  18. Podcasters
  19. Apps developers
  20. Educational and Prosocial media for young clowns
  21. Educational and Prosocial media for young clowns.
Hello Media Clowns!
So you are a media clown. You get your message out to zillions of other clowns. In your work, do you aim to brighten clowns' days or make the world better in some small way?
Some questions for you!
Micko has some questions for you. Question one: Would you like to add Love Flow to World Love Flow?
Does your media work influence your audience in a positive way?
There is research about how media influences clowns. Researchers talk about the "mean-world syndrome", because research shows that clowns who watch a lot of crime or violence on TV are more likely to perceive that the world is a mean and scary place. However, they also talk about the "kind-world syndrome", resulting from positive media content that cultivates a positive view of Clown Nation, in which clowns are perceived to be decent, upstanding, and kind. Which syndrome does your media work manifest? Which syndrome would you like your work to manifest?
Three types of clown well-being.
The literature talks about 3 types of clown well-being: Hedonic well-being is seen as subjective well-being, a high frequency of positive emotions, a low frequency of negative emotions, general satisfaction with life. Eudaimonic well-being involves a search for meaning, less a momentary state, more a way of living a good and fulfilled life, being self-realized. Transcendent entertainment takes audiences beyond personal benefits to a greater appreciation of their interconnectedness with others or a higher nature,. Does your work manifest any of these types of well-being? Could you add more of these to your product? Maybe something about Love Flow? Creating a World of Love?
Hedonic entertainment
Hedonic media can elicit positive emotions, lessen negative emotions, and influence clowns' satisfaction with life (well-being, happiness, pleasure). It has been associated with clowns' need for play and escape, and learning (kids' TV). The emotional affiliations that an audience develops regarding characters in a media narrative plays an important role in enjoyment. Also important are the resolution of conflicts in the character's life and any identification a clown has with the character. For many clowns suspense is enjoyable. Viewing media with other clowns can augment enjoyment via emotional contagion. Does any of this resonate with you and your media product?
Meaningful Media (entertainment)
More focus on difficult aspects of clown life like struggles (sadness, gloominess) but also kindness, love, helping, and connection, happiness, cheerfulness, joy, elevation, being moved, Meaning-making: challenging viewers to make meaning out of clown struggles, pain, suffering, Morally complex, and ambiguous characters can result in psychological well-being (as opposed to subjective well-being), leading to self-acceptance, having a meaningful life, in charge of own life, personal growth, empathy, motivation to be better person, increased spirituality, hope, universality orientation, and greater psychological well-being, Does your media product touch on any fof this? Would you like it too?
Transcendent media entertainment
Takes audience beyond personal benefits to a greater understanding of interconnectedness with others or a higher nature. Self-transcendent emotions: awe, inspiration, admiration, hope, and love. Motivation to act on new inspiration (compassion). Elevation due to awareness of clowns' better nature, altruism, charity, loyalty, generosity, Associated with desire to be less selfish, motivation to engage in prosocial actions, and a will to become a better clown. Gratitude for one's benefits but also for other clown's good deeds, fostering altruism toward strangers, feelings of greater connection to others, greater meaning and life satisfaction. How could integrate any of this into your media product?
News and nonfiction
Hey News Hounds! Micko know why so many of you focus on negative news...it's because you have accepted the slogan "if it bleeds, let it lead" and internalized it into your brains and hearts. You may or may not know that there is a movement happening to focus on positive news. For instance, restorative narratives, such as when covering disasters, focusing on the personal element- how clowns show strength and resilience, rather than the negative images. Also consider 'constructive journalism' that applies Positive Psychology techniques to news in order to create productive and engaging coverage, while staying true to journalism's core functions. (continued on next slide).
News and nonfiction continued
Clowns talk about the mean-world syndrome and the kind-word syndrome...research on positive news stories indicates that they can elicit positive and self-transcendent positive emotions, feelings of connectedness, motivations for greater altruism, and can reduce prejudicial feelings toward other clowns. Reinforcing spiral models focus on the interplay between the effects of media and the clown's exposure to media over time. For instance, a depressed clown watches a TV show on throwing pies in other clown's faces and likes it so much the clown keeps watching the show, and at some point the clown actually starts throwing pies in other clown's faces and the depression goes away!
Narrative and Persuasion
Shared knowledge through stories has been a tradition for eons in clown evolution. Narrative persuasion refers to the impact of messages on beliefs, attitudes or behaviors of audience, therefore has potential to promote positive and prosocial outcomes. Unfortunately, some clowns send messages to Micko trying to get Micko to buy their brand of seltzer. These messages are called commercials. Some clowns get so engrossed in reading a comic book that they lose contact with the world around them Some narratives have influenced "in group" members to have a more positive feeling for "out group" members. (continued on next slide).
Narrative and persuasion continued
When a viewer feels like they know a certain character in a show this can influence changes in the clown's attitudes...if the character is gay the viewer may have more positive attitudes toward gay clowns. Some narratives result in clowns feeling hope, such as underdog stories and stories about clowns struggling with big things. The feeling of elevation can lead to self-transcendent emotions, and can result in a clown feeling closer to others and to Clown Nation as a whole. Watching inspirational videos that elicited elevation resulted in feeling closer to Clown Nation, and also resulted in clowns feeling closer to members of out-groups. How could your work promote elevation and hope?
Websites
Good News Network
Social Media
Users can personalize their experience by creating a profile, interacting, creating and posting stuff. Social media may reduce loneliness, help maintaining relationships, allow connection with strangers with similar interests. Stress management: self-disclosure. Advocacy and activism (Black Lives Matter). Find enjoyment, meaning, belonging, self-presentation, self-affirmation. Inspiration. Habit change apps helpful if a clear demand to change behavior (concrete action or steps), autonomy in executing the behavior, and encourage feedback and rewards, support from other users, and motivational quotes. Does your product reflect any of this? Would you like it to?
Digital games and virtual reality
Digital games offer users a wealth of interactive powers: users can choose which avatar to embody, which level to play, what mission to choose, what music to play, etc. User can also manipulate and modify the content. Uses often get immersed in the game, feeling like they are really there (presence), Users can identify with the characters. Social interactions: user-to-system and user-to-user interactions. Game playing can result in positive emotions, life satisfaction, decreased stress, mood regulation, relaxation, flow, recovery from work fatigue and overcoming loneliness. Some games go beyond fun, they engage, impact, inspire, and move users. (Continued in next slide).
Digital media continued
Research shows that game playing produces outcomes that fit with the main elements of the PERMA theory of well-being: positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, and accomplishment. Research also shows that digital games and result in awe, an emotional response elicited by something so vast that it exceeds our ordinary frame of reference, does not fit into our existing mental structures, therefore requiring an alteration of those structures. Awe is usually a positive experience, and can lead to other emotions such as joy. Some games focus on learning and some are used in schools. Continued on the next slide).
Digital media continued again
Some games focus on social change, attempting to help users change their beliefs, attitudes or behaviours.relative to a great number of issues. Change (G4C) website has 150 such games...go ahead and google it!. Virtual Reality games are considered to have great potential for truly great positive outcomes, including increased experiences of awe. It is thought that the ability to stimulate actual behaviors, or even better, to perform actual behaviors within a simulated environment, promotes self-efficacy, emotional memories, empathy, and new cognitive structures, leading to prosocial outcomes. Micko is excited about how digital games might promote the idea of creating a World of Love!
Bloggers
Hey blogging clowns! How would you like to help create a world of Love, like Micko thinks is possible? Does your blog focus on your personal life and stories and experiences? Are you a health blogger? An academic blogger? It doesn't matter what type of blogger you are, you are in a position to add positivity and even Love to our world. LoveBlossoms (Barbara Fredrickson) talks about micro-moments of Love, when 2 or more clowns share positive stuff and make a connection. LoveBlossoms says this is the highest form of Love. What do you think? Do you already focus on positive stuff? Would you like to try adding more positive stuff?
Podcasters
Hey podcasting clowns! How would you like to help create a world of Love, like Micko thinks is possible? Does your podcast focus on your personal life and stories and experiences? Are you a health blogger? An academic podcaster? It doesn't matter what type of podcaster you are, you are in a position to add positivity and even Love to our world. LoveBlossoms (Barbara Fredrickson) talks about micro-moments of Love, when 2 or more clowns share positive stuff and make a connection. LoveBlossoms says this is the highest form of Love. What do you think? Do you already focus on positive stuff? Would you like to try adding more positive stuff to your podcast?
Apps developers
Hey app developers! How creative are you? Micko has no idea how to create an app that focuses on creating a World of Love, but believes an app developer who has a loving heart could come up with a special app for clowns to enjoy. LoveBlossoms (Barbara Fredrickson) talks about micro-moments of Love, when 2 or more clowns share positive stuff and make a connection. LoveBlossoms says this is the highest form of Love. Maybe you could create an app that helps users learn abut their micro-moments of Love? What do you think? Or maybe you come up with better ideas to help spread positivity and connection between clowns?
Educational and Prosocial media for young clowns
Thank you Mr. Rogers, for being such a nice clown and promoting self-worth, compassion, understanding, tolerance, caring, and appreciating others in young clowns! Also Sesame Street and Blue's Cues. Most scholars focus on the importance of prosocial behaviors such as helping, friendly interactions, emotion management, inclusiveness, tolerance, altruism, as well as stereotype and aggression reduction. It is thought that the more prosocial games young clowns play, the more additive the effects become, leading to changes in the player's personality, which leads to subsequent learning encounters, which lead to an upward spiral of prosocial learning and living. (Continued on next slide).
Educational and procial media for young clowns (continued)
This possibility of upward spirals in young clowns greatly interests Micko, as Micko wrote Micko's big paper at Clown College on upward spirals of positive well-being. LoveBlossoms (Barbara Fredrickson) is also interested in upward spirals. Micko thinks upward spirals are the engine that powers the creation of a swarm of clowns working together to create a world of Love. Also, Micko believes that how we help young clowns understand and promote their Love Flow (caring, sharing, empathy, compassion, helping, tolerance, etc.) is the key, over many generations, to create a World of Love,
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The First Step,and maybe the most important step!

Stop showing the bleeding!

“If it bleeds let it lead”

As a journalist or other media clown, is that your motto? Or the motto of your bosses?

How do you feel about so much focus on negativity? How do you feel about your kids being so exposed to negativity on traditional and social media?

What is your current role in presenting negativity?

How much positivity do you present?

Micko thinks that traditional media and social media can have a significant role in creating a World of Love over future generations, by promoting positive news and positive stories.

Micko has some questions for you to ponder:

  1. Would you like to be part of creating a world of Love?
  2. What are some ways you could promote more positive news and stories?
  3. If you are one of the “powers that be”, are you willing to look at your beliefs and assumptions about what your role and your organization’w role is in terms of creating a better world?
  4. Is more money more important than creating a better world?
  5. Are you willing to talk with other media clowns about increasing positive coverage?
  6. Are you willing to talk with your bosses about increasing positive coverage?

“If it bleeds, let it lead” is a news adage meaning sensational, negative stories (like violence or disaster) get top billing because they attract more attention and drive viewership/sales, a practice rooted in early “yellow journalism” and amplified by modern social media algorithms that favor emotional content, often to the detriment of public well-being. 

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  • Stress response: Watching upsetting news footage can trigger the fight-or-flight response. This releases adrenaline and cortisol, hormones that cause physical symptoms of anxiety like rapid heart rate, shallow breathing, and upset stomach.
  • Increased anxiety and depression: Studies have shown that people experience increased symptoms of anxiety and depression after consuming news for just 14 minutes. These symptoms are worse when people feel they have no control over the situations they are hearing about.
  • Relying on social media can drive addictive behavior: Social media can be a breeding ground for negativity, with clickbait headlines and algorithms designed to keep you coming back for more. This constant barrage of negativity can be addictive and contribute to anxiety and depression.

we better pause and consider the impact of this phenomenon on our mental health, society, and the fabric of our communities.

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Clowns for Peace

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