Red counters on notifications are specificially designed by social media "engagement experts" to be anxiety-inducing.
We need a color which is like "you have a notification, but don't worry about it, you can see it when you feel like it".
I like how #Pinafore did it. In fact, there's a lot to learn from Pinafore on ethical design.
Ethical tech should let people use it with intentionality and purpose unlike the manipulative tactics of surveillance capitalist tech.