We’ve all been there. It’s 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning, and you’re on your phone or computer scrolling through Facebook. The content is pretty consistent: Tasty videos, political articles and videos, memes, maybe an updated profile picture or two, and photos from that birthday party you weren’t invited to. Just kidding — your friends have definitely figured out privacy settings. Anyway, you’re scrolling mindlessly, and something catches your eye! Let’s say it’s a Tasty video, my favorite. So you click on it and watch. I swear these little movies are magical. After watching one of these, I have not only decided that my true calling is to be a chef but I’m already in the process of signing up for three cooking classes by the time it’s over. It may be 2 a.m., but vegan fettuccine with six different sauce options seems like a pretty good idea — until I click on the comment section.

Then, sometimes, I just want to smash my phone into my face.

Although I have yet to do that, I do find myself thinking, with a growing sense of outrage, “Oh… I had no idea there was a traditional way of making vegan fettuccine…” and “How many more spices do these people want?”. It may be my common sense talking, but maybe there is more than one way to make the recipe, and maybe Donald Trump has literally nothing to do with that. Suddenly, my mind shifts from my prospects of becoming a world-famous chef and I am just stressed out as I try to comprehend why people spend their time criticizing anything and everything, even recipe videos. But here I am, criticizing those critics, and I have more to say!

But even more stressful than the comments themselves are the replies. Celebrities and others who take the time to respond to trolls on Facebook deserve some kind of award because the mental capacity it takes to even read the conversations on political and non-political posts alike is stressful enough. For some reason, as much as I hate it I can’t stop reading. I read more and more comments until I’m practically descending into hell. And yet I go deeper and even deeper. Every time I click “view more replies” a part of me dies. I can’t even think what it’s like to be engaged in this conversation, I’m too overwhelmed by the pettiness and the meaninglessness of so much of it.

But here’s the thing: what's happening here is on some level unprecedented in human history — a kind of real-time conversation between millions or people about topics big and small. And while a lot of what's there is snarky, petty and stupid, sometimes something else happens and it feels like it could be potentially life-changing. At the least, it could be useful.

Sometimes the comments aren't bad. While every comment section has its trolls, the communities that work to create a positive comment space are terrific. Two of my favorites are the "Humans of New York" page and the “Pantsuit Nation” group. Both groups’ creators have spoken specifically about their comment sections because it is not something to be glazed over. While people don’t talk much about the negative comment sections — the norm — people definitely recognize when the comments are positive and respectful. These pages (and many others) almost make the awful comment sections worth enduring.

After going on the "Pantsuit Nation" Facebook group to find a good example of this, I was almost immediately met with a post that ended with "Thanks so much for your kind words and support! Y'all are the best!" Remarks like this are not uncommon in pages that have harnessed the power of Facebook comment threads.

To be fair, the idea of billions of strangers being able to converse with each other online about any topic they are able to see is very strange. Facebook doesn’t even disable comments, unlike YouTube. But if that idea is turned on its head and creates something beautiful — like billions of strangers being able to support each other online — then something extraordinary CAN happen.

So, all you fellow Facebook commenters, next time you’re ready to bang out a complaint or criticism online, especially towards someone you don’t even know, think about this and type something positive. You can Venmo me some cash as a thank you, and feel really good about yourself. Because that Facebook comment might just make someone’s day.