With more time to be on social media apps because of COVID-19, many students have begun participating in Instagram challenges which a focus on positivity.

“My feed was filled with positive little notes of encouragement and it just made my day to see so many people care about helping others,” junior Kaylee Martinez said.

Challenges were created to further this positivity by asking friends and strangers alike to join in on the movement.

“My friend nominated me and at first I didn’t know what was happening,” Martinez said. “But I soon learned that it is a way to spread positive thoughts throughout this difficult time caused by the Coronavirus. Life is pretty hard and rough right now so it’s a way to stay optimistic and show some happy times.”

One of the challenges, 10 Beautiful Girls, was about promoting female empowerment. Females posted a picture of themselves in order to inspire confidence and raise self-esteem, then they challenged other friends to do the same.

“I like the message about bringing positivity out and women encouraging each other, especially in a world today where it’s not as common,” junior Mame Gueye said. “It was also a nice activity for all of us to do since we are quarantined at home.”

The challenge quickly gained popularity across the globe as more and more women took to their social media platforms to spread the word.

“It’s crazy how fast it blew up,” Gueye said. “And now there are even celebrities participating.”

Martinez said by utilizing social media platforms to spread some light in these dark times, humanity shows its resilience in the face of adversity.

She said, “It’s going to be tough, but we’ll get through these hard times with our heads held high.”