-Have you got a little hippopotamus on your feed on Instagram? Or seen videos of a giant baby penguin on TikTok? Then you are not alone. The dwarf hippo Moo Deng has taken the internet by storm. The hippopotamus living in a zoo in Thailand is going viral on social media because of his cute and cheeky personality. Moo Deng the hippo is going viral on TikTok. The name Moo Deng means “bouncy pig” in Thai, and the hippopotamus became world famous just a month after she was born. Now Moo Deng has become a meme, while clothes, toys and articles are made with images of the hippopotamus. And it’s not just Moo Deng who is going viral on social media. Pesto the king penguin has also become a viral sensation. The nine-month-old penguin has become known for its enormous appearance. King penguin Pesto has received a lot of attention in social media. Photo: Kit Photography Pesto weighs a whopping 22 kilos and eats more than his own body weight in fish every week, according to AP News. In comparison, the parents Hudson and Tango weigh 11 kilos each. But how can a hippopotamus and a penguin become world celebrities? Media researcher John Magnus Ranghildson Dahl explains that both Deng Moo and Pesto are very sweet. And when there’s a cuteness to something, it tends to become very popular on the internet. – You have a basic human need and desire to see cute things, says Dahl. John Magnus Ragnhildson Dahl Photo: Zulfikar Fahmy / University of Bergen He also explains that looking at cute animals is a distraction. – And distractions are healthy for creativity, cohesion and relaxation. At least it gives us a sense of well-being. It is in a way nonsense, but nonsense is good and important, he says. Thinks the media should focus on other news The massive attention surrounding Moo Deng and Pesto on social media has resulted in several international media such as The Guardian, BBC and Time Magazine featuring the two creatures. This at a time when the media are also continuously reporting on the war in Ukraine, Hamas terrorist attacks, and now Israel’s warfare in Gaza. – Although I like such viral animals myself, and spend quite a lot of time on it, I may not think that the media should spend time spreading or creating stories about it, says Dahl. These animals have gone viral on the internet In 2019, the whale Hvaldimir became world famous after he retrieved a mobile phone from the seabed that fell into the water by accident. The incident was filmed and the video went viral worldwide. The dog Tuna is best known for his overbite and began his internet career in 2012. On Instagram, Tuna has over 2 million followers and appeared on the American talk show Steve TV Show. The dog Jiffpom is best known for walking on two legs. The dog has 31 million followers on Instagram and TikTok. The cat Nala is known for her blue eyes and cute face and has 4.5 followers on Instagram. In 2020, the cat was named the world’s most popular cat on Instagram by Guinness World Records. – Why? – It’s there anyway. Cats and cute animals manage to spread on the good internet without having to expend journalistic energy on it. That should be used for more important matters, he says. – Need something to enjoy with Torill Christine Lindstrøm is professor of psychology at the Institute for Social Psychology, University of Bergen. She says that it is a good thing to spread news about animals. – It is a well-known fact that people now watch the news less often, because they cannot bear to see and hear about more atrocities. Many people need something to enjoy themselves with, then animals are good, she says. Do you like reading news about animals? Yes, it makes me happy No, I want to read about other matters Show result At the same time, Lindstrøm explains that pleasant news about animals can only put people in a good mood now and then, but that it is unlikely to improve mental health in general, or over time. And when the media write news about animals, there should certainly be more positive issues, but also have more issues related to problems about animal protection and animal welfare, she believes. Published 11.10.2024, at 14.27
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Reading about animals in the media puts you in a good mood, according to a psychologist. – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
