Category: Trending

This article was originally published on 3.3.23.

Ever look at your parents’ high school yearbooks and think people looked so much older back then? All of the teenagers look like they’re in their mid-30s and the teachers who are 50 look like they’re 80.

When we watch older movies, even those from the 1980s, the teenagers appear to be a lot older as well.

Why is it that they looked so much older? Was life harder? Did people act more mature? Did they spend more time outdoors and less time playing video games? Is it their sense of fashion? Were they all smokers?

Educator Michael Stevens, who runs the super-popular Vsauce YouTube channel, explains the phenomenon in a new video called, “Did people used to look older?” In the video, he explains that people in the past appear a lot older due to a phenomenon known as retrospective aging.

When we see people in the past, they are wearing outdated styles that we associate with older people; therefore, we think they have aged rapidly. For example, a teenager in the 1950s may have been in fashion while wearing thick Buddy Holly-style glasses.

But as people age, they tend to cling to the fashion of their youth. So many people of that generation continued to wear the Buddy Holly-style glasses into their 50s. So when younger people see those glasses they see them as old people’s glasses and not a hip kid from the ’50s.

So in the photo from the ’50s, the teen appears to look a lot older because our perspective has been tainted by time.

But it isn’t all just an illusion. Stevens also points out that people did age faster back in the day due to differences in nutrition, lifestyle and medicine.

This article originally appeared on 07.11.22

This article was originally published on 3.2.23.

Kids might say the darnedest things, but occasionally they also give sage advice.

A teacher in the United Kingdom by the name of George Pointon has made a name for himself by tweeting his 6-year-old students’ comical, candid and sometimes profound answers to weekly questions.

Or, as he humorously writes in his Twitter bio, “exploiting children’s imagination for likes.”

One of my favorite threads so far is when Pointon asked his students to create a “mantra to help us through life.” The teacher posted each student’s response, along with some commentary.

It’s all some noteworthy food for thought, if not harmless, wholesome entertainment.

Best of all, the genuine affection Pointon has for his students is undeniable.

Rory: “Don’t stop running”

Pointon: “The other day I grunted when picking up my keys from the table. If I didn’t stop running, I’d die. Rory has gone for the Forrest Gump approach here. It seemed to work for him. Forrest that is. I’ve seen Rory run into multiple trees. Persistent tho.”

Rory might be running into trees, but some spot-on perspectives on life as well.

JJ: “Only be friends with people who you want to be friends with”

Pointon: “This gets forgotten about in adults. Sometimes we are friends with people out of convenience or history. Look around and ask yourself, “does this person positively impact my life?”. JJ has his head screwed on.”

JJ understands the value of authentic friendship. And, as Pointon reflected, setting boundaries and letting go is something so many adults struggle with, though there are countless sources noting its importance.

Jack: “You might [get] told off but sometimes you’re not doing anything wrong”

Pointon: “His anti-authority attitude is refreshing as it is scary. He’s right tho. Fight for what you believe in and it’s never wrong. Although Jack believes he can back flip over a lorry, so I don’t know.”

What’s a lorry, you may ask? Turns out it’s a British term for an 18-wheeler. I didn’t know either.

Ravi: “Some people don’t have anything so be happy you have everything”

Pointon: “We truly are in the presence of greatness. There are world leaders without this clarity. Step back and look at what we take for granted, you’ll be amazed. Ravi elevates people around him. He’s a special lad.”

I believe this was a major theme that “Don’t Look Up” was trying to convey. Well done, Ravi.

Lola: “You can’t swim in a sink but a bath is just a big sink”

Pointon: “I believe she’s talking about perspective. One person’s baby step is another’s giant leap. Lola moves at her pace and is proud of the people around her moving at theirs. Otherwise you’ll lose a one horse race.”

I’m gonna assume Lola is also a proponent of the “just keep swimming” mentality.

Emma: “The people who don’t talk, still have something to say”

Pointon: “Empty vessels makes the most noise. Emma is quiet and has grown in confidence since I’ve known her. She is an advocate for letting people be themselves. A true woman of her time. She’ll make an excellent leader.”

Hear, hear for quiet confidence, Emma.

Belle: “Flowers live in the ground, we live in a house. Everyone lives somewhere.”

Pointon: “It’s a huge, overwhelming concept to think every individual lives an equally complex and rich life as you. Knowing that everyone is coming from something make[s] you see we’re all the same. One team.”

A lesson in empathy, taught by Belle.

Mikey: “Mud hills are fun but also muddy”

Pointon: “I’d never heard of the term “mud hill” but I assumed it’s a hill, that is muddy. I was wrong. It’s basically a pile of mud mashed up and used to throw at cars or people…So if you see a boy holding a mud ball with a devilish grin, run.”

No such thing as good, clean fun, according to Mikey.

Zahra: “Some things are cool and some things aren’t”

Pointon: “There is no messing about with Zahra. A woman of precision. She wanted to add that if you find things cool, then it is. Which in itself is a pretty cool thing to say. If you enjoy something, don’t let other[s] bring you down.”

Zahra is clearly the Queen of Cool.

Susanna: “Don’t start a fire in a forrest”

Pointon: “I take this as, understanding your situation and objectively being able to know what is benefitting you and what isn’t. But Susanna confirmed that there is no subtext. Just don’t start fires in forrests because it goes whoosh, okay.”

I also love how Pointon was loyal to Susanna’s spelling of the word “forrest.” That dedication right there.

According to indy100, Pointon protects the identity of his young pupils by using made-up aliases. But reassured, the answers provided are all too real.

Pointon told indy100, “School can sometimes make you think quite linear, like there are only right or wrong answers but, especially with them being so young, their thoughts are actually really abstract.”

Passion, purpose, and a dash of social media stardom have allowed Pointon to help raise awareness around children’s issues. Last November he worked with the Anti-Bullying Alliance, asking the question “what makes you unique?”

For Zahra, it was her two different eye colors. For Susanna, it was the fact that she could fit 100 grapes in her mouth (Pointon isn’t so sure, but encouraging nonetheless).

Pointon hopes to work with even more charities, using his platform to “have conversations with children about things that need to be spoken about, or things that are going on in the world and get their point of view on things.”

In the meantime, you can catch all of Pointon’s thoughtful questions, along with his students’ endearing and brilliant answers, on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on 01.28.22

Any time conversations about wealth and poverty come up, people inevitably start talking about boots.

The standard phrase that comes up is “pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” which is usually shorthand for “work harder and don’t ask for or expect help.” (The fact that the phrase was originally used sarcastically because pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps is literally, physically impossible is rarely acknowledged, but c’est la vie.) The idea that people who build wealth do so because they individually work harder than poor people is baked into the American consciousness and wrapped up in the ideal of the American dream.

A different take on boots and building wealth, however, paints a more accurate picture of what it takes to get out of poverty.

Author Terry Pratchett is no longer with us, but his writing lives on and is occasionally shared on his official social media accounts. Recently, his Twitter page shared the “Sam Vimes ‘Boots’ Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness” from Pratchett’s 1993 book “Men At Arms.” This boots theory explains that one reason the rich are able to get richer is because they are able to spend less money.

If that sounds confusing, read on:

u2026 He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of okay for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollarsu2026n2/5

— Terry Pratchett (@Terry Pratchett)
1643144843

Pratchett wrote:

“The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.

Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.”

In other words, people who have the money to spend a little more upfront often end up spending less in the long run. A $50 pair of boots that last five years essentially cost you $10 a year. But if you can only afford $10 upfront for a pair of boots that last six months, that’s what you buy—and you end up paying twice as much over a five-year period.

There are so many areas in which this principle applies when you’re poor. Buying in bulk saves you money over the long run, but you have to be able to afford the bulk cost up front. A reliable car that doesn’t require regular repairs will cost more than a beater, but if the beater is all you can afford, that’s what you’re stuck with. You’ll likely spend the same or more over time than if you’d bought a newer/higher quality car, but without the capital (or the credit rating) to begin with, you don’t have much choice.

People who can afford larger down payments pay lower interest rates, saving them money both immediately and in the long run. People who can afford to buy more can spend more with credit cards, pay off the balances, build up good credit and qualify for lower interest rate loans.

There are lots of good financial decisions and strategies one can utilize if one has the ability to build up some cash. But if you are living paycheck to paycheck, you can’t.

Climbing the financial ladder requires getting to the bottom rung first. Those who started off anywhere on the ladder can make all kinds of pronouncements about how to climb it—good, sound advice that really does work if you’re already on the ladder. But for people living in poverty, the bottom rung is just out of reach, and the walls you have to climb to get to it are slippery. It’s expensive to be poor.

When people talk about how hard it is to climb out of poverty, this is a big part of what they mean. Ladder-climbing advice is useless if you can’t actually get to the ladder. And yet, far too many people decry offering people assistance that might help them reach the ladder so they can start taking advantage of all that great financial advice. Why? Perhaps because they were born somewhere on the ladder—even if it was the bottom rung—and aren’t aware that there are people for whom the ladder is out of reach. Or perhaps they’re unaware of how expensive it is to be poor and how the costs of poverty keep people stuck in the pit. Hopefully, this theory will help more people understand and sympathize with the reality of being poor.

Money makes money, but having money also saves you money. The more money you have, the more wealth you’re able to build not only because you have extra money to save, but also because you buy higher quality things that last, therefore spending less in the long run. (There’s also the reality that the uber-wealthy will pay $5,000 for shoes they’ll only wear a few times, but that’s a whole other kind of boots story.)

Thanks, Terry Pratchett, for the simple explanation.

This story originally appeared on 01.28.22

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a cat? To watch the world from less than a foot off the ground, seeing and hearing things humans completely miss, staring out the window for hours while contemplating one of your nine lives?

Well, thanks to one person, we need wonder no more—at least about what-they’re-seeing part.

The TikTok channel Mr. Kitters the Cat (@mr.kitters.the.cat) gives us a cat’s-eye view of the world with a camera attached to Mr. Kitters’ collar. And the result is an utterly delightful POV experience that takes us through the daily adventuring of the frisky feline as he wanders the yard.

In a video titled “Spicy cats,” which has more than 74 million views on TikTok, we begin with the cutest cat sneeze ever. Then we hear Mr. Kitters’ meow as we walk with him through the grass before the scene switches to a thrilling, yowling cat chase he witnesses across the yard (while tucking himself even more securely under the bush he’s in).

The best is seeing his kitty paws as he walks and then digs in the mulch. And there’s apparently something very exciting that needs to be pounced on right along a chain link fence.

Watch and enjoy:

@mr.kitters.the.cat

Spicy cats 🌶️ #fyp #cat #meow

The commenters made their delight known.

“I love how he saw the cat fight and was like that’s not my business today,” wrote one person.

“WHEN HE DIGS WITH HIS LIL PAWS,” declared another.

“People: Cats only meow at humans.” Mr Kitters -Meows at everything-” wrote another.

And of course, countless people responded simply to the sneeze with “Bless you.”

Mr. Kitters has other POV videos as well. This one demonstrates how chatty he is and shows his black cat buddy as well.

@mr.kitters.the.cat

“What do you want?” “Nothing!” #fyp #cat #meow

It really sounds like he says, “Let me in,” doesn’t it?

And this “extreme sports” video is riveting.

@mr.kitters.the.cat

Extreme sports 💀 #fyp

It’s funny how something as simple as putting a camera around the neck of a cat can draw in tens of millions of people. We’re all so curious about the lives of the creatures we see every day, and the adorable quirkiness of cat behavior is a big part of why we keep them as companions in the first place. Seeing the world through their point of view is just one more way we can enjoy and learn about our pet friends.

This article originally appeared on 6.15.23

There’s a wide variety of summer camps out there with activities ranging from classics like bonfires and water balloon fights to the uber niche, ala putting on musicals or prepping for space adventures.

Still, even with the plentiful themes in existence, people are calling one mom’s unique but oh-so-practical camp idea pure genius.

Kaitlyn Rowe, mom of four and content creator in Utah, gave her kiddos a list of super basic, but very important life skills to learn at home throughout summer, in what she calls “How To Be A Person” camp.

The difficulty level of each task would be age dependent. Rowe’s 3-year-old son learned things like making the bed, safely using scissors and glue, introducing himself to a new friend and organizing his toys. Whereas Rowe’s eldest daughter, age 6, would learn slightly more complex things like scrambling an egg on the stove, blow-drying her hair and packing an overnight bag. There was also a list of skills the siblings would learn together, like putting away groceries, pool safety and talking on the phone.

See on Instagram

As Rowe shared in an interview with Good Morning America, she actually got the idea from fellow mom Emily Ley, who created this alternative camp during the peak days of COVID-19.

Overwhelmed with homeschooling, Ley thought if she could teach her kids “some age-appropriate independence,” it would take the load off of her as well. Rowe borrowed the idea and the “How To Be A Person” camp title as she compiled her own list of activities in lieu of sending her kids to an actual camp. So far, her kids have loved it. And with her post currently having over 54,000 views on Instagram, it seems other parents are in love with the idea as well.

It’s no secret that many of us reach adulthood having learned obscure academic subjects and somehow skimming over the things we would actually incorporate into everyday life. Nothing against algebra and trigonometry, but it sure would have been nice to have learned about doing taxes instead, you know what I’m saying?

Plus, it’s well documented that kids genuinely enjoy mimicking adults, so having them engage in grown-up duties is not only a rewarding activity in the moment, it potentially creates a positive relationship with household chores that they can hold onto throughout their life.

Another cool thing about the “How To Be A Person” camp idea is that it’s fully customizable. It can be a list that parents create, or it can be child-led. It can be 100% practical or silly. A healthy mix is probably the best of both worlds.

Per some suggestions in the comments, it seems that Rowe will be changing the name to “How To Do The Important Stuff” camp to be more inclusive towards those with special needs. Point being: this camp can be for every kid. And honestly, probably should be.

To see Rowe’s complete “How To Be A Person” camp list, go to Instagram.

This article originally appeared on 6.15.23

Over the past few years, tipping culture has gotten out of control in America. It used to be you tipped around 15% to 20% if you sat down and ate at a restaurant. Now, the credit card machine prompts people to leave a tip when buying a cup of coffee, slice of pizza or an ice cream cone.

Even exterminators are asking for tips these days.

Charlotte Muller (@breathe_strength on TikTok) shared a video recently where she claims that she was tip-shamed by a card reader while purchasing an overpriced smoothie. What made things worse was that the card reader asked her for a 20% tip. Now, the $10 smoothie becomes a $12 smoothie.

The video must have resonated with people because it has received over 1.7 million views in just two days.

@breathe_strength

HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE #tipping #tippingculture

“But I’m literally paying … top dollar for this smoothie, so I click, ‘No tip.’ Then an alert comes up on the credit card machine all in caps, it says, ‘BAD TIP.’ When I tell you, I stood there and waited for my smoothie, embarrassed. I literally got shamed from a credit card machine,” she shared.

Most people feel a little guilty when they don’t tip, even when it’s inappropriate to ask for one. But then for the card reader to add to that by shaming the customer is tipping culture run amok.

How about business owners pay their workers enough so their customers don’t have to subsidize them? That would solve a lot of point-of-sale embarrassment for people on both sides of the transaction.

Sometimes you just want to go for a dip, especially with how uncomfortably hot it can get in summer. Unfortunately, not everyone has a pool in their backyard, and for most, that would be the end of the idea—but not for a dog named Zepp.

Zepp decided that he wanted to go for a swim, but since there was no pool in his yard, he plopped over the fence into his neighbor’s yard to splash around theirs. His owner saw Zepp’s extracurricular activity on her security cameras and decided to share on social media.

The video posted to her TikTok account, Errieting, shows the Golden Retriever climbing and sort of flopping over the fence to get to the neighbor’s pool. Once on the other side of the fence, Zepp went for a swim, but things got amusing when the doggy-paddling pup refused to leave the water.

Zepp’s owner filmed herself trying to get the dog out of the pool, and as soon as she got close enough to grab his collar, he swam away. At one point, he looked like he was mimicking a human by sitting up and using his front paws to splash as if taunting his mom.

@errieting

escaping into the neighbors pool #dog #goldenretriever #fyp #michaelphelps

Clearly, Zepp had no interest in leaving the pool, and now that he knows he can get over the fence, he will likely make unscheduled visits to the neighbors. So instead of fighting the inevitable, Zepp’s mom and the neighbors worked together to do a POV video of Zepp sneaking in for a swim from the neighbor’s angle. It’s an adorable must-see below.

@errieting

THE NEIGHBOR’S POV… you asked, we listened. #fyp #comedy #funny #goldenretriever #puppy #dogsoftiktok #dog #funnyanimals #funnydog

If you are a native English speaker, it is probably hard to imagine what people who don’t speak the language hear when you are talking. “Skwerl,” a short film by Karl Eccleston and Brian Fairbairn, attempts to demonstrate what English sounds like to people who don’t speak the language.

The film was created in 2011 for Kino Sydney, “a monthly open-mic night for filmmakers” based in Sydney, Australia. Since being posted to YouTube 12 years ago, it has received over 52 million views.

The short film stars Eccleston and Australian actress Fiona Pepper as a couple whose special evening is disrupted when underlying relationship tensions creep up.

Warning: Strong language

Here’s a sample of the script:

THE MAN

So I ran to yourk around the wash today.

THE WOMAN

Oh?

THE MAN

Yeah. That doll’s areen blunderface. Can berave that mory alpen john. Joo flan by the long blatt call?

THE WOMAN

Yeah. I coon by the mex areen. Oh you bleed that pribadium by the ronfort line today?

The video received some thoughtful reactions in the comments section. The SkyWolfie6655 summed it up perfectly: “As an English speaker, it feels like I SHOULD be understanding this and I’m just not, like I’ve heard them wrong or something, this is really well done.”

The film also connected with people who learned English as a second language. “Man, that’s exactly what I used to hear when I was younger, before learning English properly. This is actually quite nostalgic,” another wrote.

The video also is an excellent example of what people with a disability may hear even if they speak the language. “This is kind of what it feels like to have auditory processing disorder,” HorseFace1044 wrote. “It’s super frustrating because you can almost get what the person is saying, but not quite enough to understand what in the world they are talking about.”

Many dads out there have the best of intentions when it comes to supporting their wives. However, those intentions can get easily turned askew with a single question:

“Is there anything I can do?”

Most likely any mom or default parent reading this sentence is instantly triggered by a time when they were asked this less-than-helpful question, which actually does little to take any load off.

And any dad or secondary parent has equally unsavory memories of asking this question and being met with a look of disdain from their partner. So fun.

One dad (@dadwise.co) has some advice: stop asking that question.

Instead, he suggests dads should “look around the house, analyze the situation, and then just tackle the first thing that seems to be interfering with the peace of the household.” For him, it’s usually tending to their toddler.

He adds that stopping your wife from what she’s doing and forcing her to delegate tasks just adds more responsibility for her. Really, the actual solution is much simpler.

“Just look around. See what needs to be done.”

Goodness. What glorious words.

@dadwise.co Dads stop doimg this. Take initiative and ownership over your household and SEE what needs to be done instead of asking #fatherhood #dadlife #extremeownership #parenting ♬ original sound – dadwise.co

“If there’s dishes in the sink, do the dishes. If the kids are being crazy, take them outside and run them around. If the floor needs to be swept, sweep the floor. If the dinner needs to be made, make the dinner,” is his take.

He concluded by saying “Look around. Use your eyes. Look alive, dads. Participate. As best you know how, to the best of your abilities.”

Having to take on invisible labor—both mentally and emotionally—without support is a source of frustration for many women, and it only becomes more exhausting as they also have to juggle actual jobs and other outside responsibilities. More and more wives have grown so exasperated that they’re either publicly calling out their partners, or even going so far as divorcing them.

So, unsurprisingly, @dadwise.co’s video received a LOT of comments from women who felt so seen…if not a little angry.

“Keep telling him many times but ‘he’s a man we don’t think the same’ YOU’RE 30. YOU HAD YOUR OWN HOUSE BEFORE WE MET,” one person wrote.

Another lamented, “My husband doesn’t even ask if I need help. Just watches me suffer while I do EVERYTHING. It’s so draining 😭”

Other women noted how surprisingly groundbreaking his point of view actually was.

“This would take care of every argument we’ve had,” one person wrote

“This thinking will literally save your marriage,” seconded another

Hopefully, this video is also showing up on more than just worn-out women’s FYPs on TikTok. It’s a very doable mindset shift that could clearly pay dividends.

And @dadwise.co is clearly not the only husband who thinks this way. The fact that more and more men out there are noticing how to make partnerships more equitable is definitely worth celebrating.

If you’d like to follow along on more of @dadwise.co’s tips, click here.

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Hey, all!

It’s 10 things time! Every week, we pull together a collection of heartwarming, wholesome and hilarious content to give us all a boost of serotonin and faith in humanity. Some of these smileworthy finds are light and silly and some are deeply touching, but they’re all reminders of the good that’s all around us.

We hope this roundup of joy hits your heart in all the right places. (Don’t forget to pass it along—joy is meant to be shared!)

1. A good reminder that love is quiet, but oh so powerful

See on Instagram

Just a lovely description of how love looks all kinds of ways, and we see it everywhere when we look for it.

2. Young librarian shares heartwarming story of an encounter between three kids and three grown-ups

See on Instagram

YES. Library kids will change the world! Read the full story here.

3. Mom draws her son a picture on the fridge every night and it’s a win-win

See on Instagram

First of all, what even is that refrigerator? I want a draw-on fridge now. And secondly, love that she gets as much out of this tradition as her son does. Those are the ones that stick.

4. Husband’s explanation of his wife’s ‘true beauty’ is winning hearts all over the place

@chrissyjpowers

Sunday Sermon: How the patriarchy makes women question their beauty and then makes money of their insecurities. #realbeauty #aginggracefully #embracingaging #consciousrelationships

Yep, he’s a keeper. Read the full story here.

5. Woman asks for a mental health day and her managers exemplify workplace support

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This is what caring for your employees looks like. “We got you.” Love it.

6. Dad reserved a room for him and his ‘kid’ and the hotel hilariously delivered

@lifewithacole

Kindersley Quality Inn and Suites out did theirselves! This is the funniest things I have seen on the road from a hotel crew! #fyp #canadatiktok #canada #alberta #edmonton #kindersley #saskatoon #saskatchewan #lovinglife #livingmybestlife #hotel #qualityinnandsuites #funny #funnymoments #prank

Nobody’s too old for a bed fort and a teddy bear. Nobody.

7. Grandpa-in-a-kid’s-body enjoys his cup of tea and a good book at 6:30 a.m.

See on Instagram

He’s already got retirement figured out. Go, little fella, go.

8. Doggo with anxiety calms right down when her owners sing the ‘so brave’ song

@macrosbymel

sorry if it gets stuck in your head #rue #ruetok #ruetherescue #dogtok #rescuedog

And now the song has become an anthem for both dogs and hoomans everywhere. See how people are repurposing the jingle for themselves here.

9. Teacher shares the sweet reason his student always rubbed his necklace when he talked to people

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Matt Eicheldinger (@matteicheldinger)

Such selfless compassion in a sixth grader. These kids are alright. Read the full story here.

10. Dance your way through the weekend with all the energy of high-waisted pants guy

@djjazzyd

Friday is here #Friday #fridaynightfunkin #djjazzyd50thbirthday

Hike up the pantaloons and move those feet, friends!

Hope you enjoyed this week’s roundup! If you’d like to see more posts like this without having to search for them, sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.