Heavy, constant news cycles call for extra comfort. People turn to self-care habits and loved ones when their stress levels rise. Some also visit the social media profiles of pet influencers. Internet-famous pets are bringing extra joy during times of crisis. Learning why the audiences of viral animal videos are growing could reveal connections to other trends.
Why Pets in Media Are Becoming So Popular
Having a pet nearby activates the brain in many positive ways. The neural responses may be what people need after a long day of discouraging news headlines or arguing online. Since Jiffpom rose to fame in Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” music video, people have been able to experience those effects whenever he appears on their feeds.
A pet’s presence causes serotonin and oxytocin production, which are the happy hormones that reduce a person’s anxiety. When people see Jiffpom hiding in a gift box or posing in a Halloween costume, they may not know that their brain is actively fighting their anxiety with helpful hormones.
Pets in media may also bring a sense of comfort when they post. Nala Cat has been an online influencer for many years. People have watched her make adorable life updates and even achieve a Guinness World Record for her Instagram follower count. If Nala Cat is having a good time, the posts reassure people that things can still be OK.
Feeling comforted could restore a person’s energy and boost their mental strength. Resilience shields people against the side effects of stress, so pet influencers who restore someone’s joy are doing more than making them laugh. Following a pet influencer like Nala Cat could strengthen a person’s ability to withstand tough news, even if she only posts occasionally.
Doomscrolling is another way that challenging news cycles affect a person’s mental health. While people may think it is important to stay up to date with the latest national or global events, the constant intake of negativity can make people doomscroll all day long. Researchers found that people who doomscroll experience anxiety and poor sleep without intervention. Not sleeping well could exacerbate existing anxiety or stress.
If someone is scrolling through terrible news stories on their Instagram feed and Doug the Pug posts an update, their typically negative feed could get some much-needed positivity. Doug’s comedic posts make people giggle and often correlate with exciting events, including TV premieres, award shows and holidays. He reminds people that there is still fun in the world.
Viral Animal Videos Do Not Disappoint
Pet influencers are popular for more reasons. If someone follows Jiffpom and looks forward to each of his updates, they are not likely to feel disappointed. Animals don’t have shocking scandals that end their virtual careers like humans do. While celebrities and politicians may disappoint their fans, pet influencers are a reliable source of joy.
Animal content is also easy to share with loved ones. Challenging news cycles often divide social circles. People may fight with friends and family more than usual, destroying their sense of community. Finding things to bond over can be tricky when everyone is stressed and angry. A 2025 YouGov poll even found that 38% of American adults cut off contact with a family member, but pet content could help bridge the gap before that happens.
Doug the Pug and Nala Cat cannot address the reasons why people stop talking to loved ones, but they can offer bonding opportunities in moments of tension. People who fight over current headlines may laugh about viral pet content and remember how good it can feel to be together.
Feel-Good Pop Culture Trends Continue to Rise
Animal influencers prove that sometimes it is nice to have online resources that exist to make people happy, which reflects how people seek comfort content trends in many ways. The need for reassurance is why rewatch podcasts that became popular after the pandemic began. People rewatch formerly popular shows like “Scrubs” and “One Tree Hill” to feel comforted by nostalgia. When the former stars got together to host rewatch podcasts, the world created a new form of feel-good pop culture content with similar effects as viral pet posts.
People also tend to lean into cozy aesthetics when times get tough. When quarantines began in 2020, the cottagecore aesthetic became a popular lifestyle trend. Everyone started looking for thick quilts, candles and sourdough starter kits to feel like they were in a serene place away from terrible headlines. Pet influencers are another outlet that does the same thing. They revamp social media feeds with adorable posts, so everyone has a place to recharge their mental health.
Social media users can expect to see more pet influencers rise to fame through viral animal videos. Their popularity and mental health benefits are even more important when life gets hard. While people will always look for additional trends, such as rewatching comfort shows to feel better, animals are a special source of joy both online and in person.
Jack Shaw is the Culture Editor for Modded, breaking down the trends, fandoms and more shaping today’s cultural landscape. His work explores everything from blockbuster franchises to local subcultures. Jack seeks to bring clarity, context, unique insight and a fan’s enthusiasm to every story. His writing can be found in Quartz, ComicBookMovie.com, The Outerhaven and more.
