A Social Networking Site for Happy People

The world can be a real downer sometimes. Our politicians can’t keep it together, Whitey Bulger was a pedophile, and no one even likes Obama anymore.

The ladies over at Boston-based startup Happier.com think they have an antidote, of the shut-your-eyes-and-look-away variety. Nataly Kogan — who calls herself “chief happiness officer”— has banned all negativity from the social networking site, which is dedicated to sharing and celebrating positive life experiences.

“Brighten up someone’s day by smiling at their happy moments and get ideas for what to do to be happier!” Kogan urges users, who can "smile" at friends' and strangers' good news.

It’s a trendy sentiment. Just look at retail company “Life is good” (“apparel featuring positive messaging”) or the GoodNewsNetwork.org (“A Daily Dose of News to Enthuse”).

But does hearing your peers' good news really make you happier? Am I just a total grouch— or do these people have a seriously flawed understanding of how human emotion works?

Let’s take a look at what constitutes breaking news, according to the optimists-in-chief over at the Good News Network.

Today's top story: “Danish woman runs 366 marathons in a year after multiple sclerosis diagnosis.”

Now be honest: Does that make you feel happy— or does it make you feel even worse about the fact that you just took the elevator to the second floor?

I wouldn't delete your Facebook just yet.