
Why your digital footprint needs a glow-up for National Kindness Week 2026.
The internet can be a dark place sometimes. Between the rage-baiting, the constant comparisons, and the toxic comment sections, it is easy to feel like the world is falling apart. But here is the thing: the internet is just a reflection of us. For National Kindness Week 2026, we are taking control of the digital narrative. We are choosing to be the light in the comments instead of adding to the noise. It is time to give our digital footprints a serious glow-up by leading with compassion and patience, even when it is hard.
Think about the last time you saw someone getting dragged online. It takes zero effort to join the pile-on, but it takes real strength to scroll past or, better yet, leave a supportive comment. Choosing kindness in digital spaces is a form of mental health maintenance for everyone involved. When you use your platform to spread encouragement or share resources that help others, you are creating a digital community that actually nourishes people. We need to stop rewarding toxicity with our attention and start hyping up the people who are actually doing good in the world.
Everyday life offers just as many opportunities to choose patience over frustration. When you are stuck in traffic or waiting in a long line at the grocery store, the vibe can get rancid quickly. Instead of letting that energy get to you, try choosing a moment of grace. Maybe the person in front of you is having the worst day of their life. Choosing to be patient is a way of saying that your peace is not for sale. It is about realizing that we are all interconnected, and a little bit of patience can prevent a bad situation from escalating.
This week, let’s commit to being the person who breaks the cycle of negativity. Support a local charity, volunteer your time, or simply listen to a friend without judgment. These acts of generosity are what keep our communities healthy and strong. When kindness becomes your default setting, you start to see the world differently. You realize that you have the power to influence the energy of every room you walk into—and every feed you scroll through. Let’s make the internet, and the real world, a place where people actually want to be.
This week is National Kindness Week
Passed as a private member’s bill by Senator Jim Munson, Bill S-223, the Kindness Week Act, received Royal Assent on June 3, 2021, becoming law in Canada and officially designating the third week of February as National Kindness Week. The inspiration for this bill, the late Rabbi Reuven Bulka, founder of Kind Canada, launched the very first Kindness Week in Ottawa 18 years ago—making Canada the first country in the world to pass such legislation.
This annual, week-long celebration encourages Canadians from coast to coast to coast to celebrate acts of kindness, volunteerism, and charitable giving for the benefit of all Canadians. It also connects individuals and organizations to share resources, information, and tools to foster even more acts of kindness.
Let’s make note of this special week, and share ways to support Kindness in our workplaces, schools and communities.
Find more of these motivational short stories from Art Borups Corners