At some point I realized I was spending 30+ minutes a day on news apps and leaving every session feeling worse than before.

Not because the world was falling apart — but because that's literally what the algorithm is optimized for. Negative stories get more engagement, so they get more surface area. And if you're consuming passively, you're just along for the ride.

Here's what I started doing instead: I spend the same 30 minutes, but I only look for stories that are:

1. Actually trending (not manufactured outrage)

2. Interesting, surprising, or genuinely meaningful

3. Worth knowing — not just worth clicking

The result? I feel more informed, not less. And I'm not carrying that background dread all day.

That's the whole idea behind The Upside. A daily feed of the best things happening right now — without the doom.

If that sounds like something you'd read, come check it out.