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Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy.

girl singing, boy with dog, dad with giggling baby
Upworthy/Instagram (manulikeginobili/TikTok, _crazyzoo/TikTok, skinbyjoe/TikTok)

The world is filled with moments of joy.

Have you ever wondered what happens in your brain when you're smiling?

The act of smiling releases molecules in your brain called neuropeptides, which help you fight off stress. Then come smaller neurotransmitters such as serotonin (which acts as an anti-depressant) and endorphins (which provide mild pain relief). These chemicals may just be tiny molecules floating around in your brain, but they make a big difference in how you feel.

At Upworthy, we're all about small things making a big difference. Whether it's the life-giving sound of a baby's laughter, the delight of a person dancing like no one's watching or the beauty of a random act of compssion, little doses of joy can go a long way toward creating the kind and peaceful world we all want to live in.

Hope this collection of small, happy things brings some big smiles to your faces!

1. The way this baby belly laughs every time the bird chirps. Oh. My. Goodness.

There is nothing better than the sound of a baby laughing. It's just pure, unhindered joy.

2. Shop owner gifts a $700 prom dress to a girl who drove six hours to her store.

@juicybodygoddess

I didn't cry until I did edit #plussize #plussizetiktok #juicybodygoddess #plussizefashion

Summer Lucille opened her Juicy Body Goddess store precisely for moments like this. The way she hypes up her customers and helps them feel their own beauty is truly a joy to behold. See more of Lucille's stellar service and read the full story here.

3. This girl is on fire, for real.

Such confidence! Every kid deserves this kind of encouragement in their artistic expression.

4. A Fred Meyer store gave its entire Powerball bonus to the local food bank.

Fred Meyer, food bank

Fred Meyer paid their lottery bonus forward to the community.

Upworthy

Not only that, but the corporate office also gave the store associates $10,000 to celebrate. Read the full story (including how the $754 million Powerball winner who bought the ticket saw a 'sign' that won her the jackpot) here.

5. Dad shares a genius way to handle a kid drawing on the wall.

The ultimate "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach to parenting. Most kids will draw on a wall at some point, and while parents do have to teach when and where it's okay to draw, there's no harm in showcasing their artistry in the process.

6. Dad narrates his son's trip to the mall 'Look Who's Talking'-style and it's delightful.

@kingkeraun

Come get yall nephew ! 🙄

The voice-over comedy still hits. Way to go, Dad. Read the full story here.

7. Mom shares a perfect, real-life example of the 'Dad is RIGHT THERE' phenomenon.

@tinyann22

Moms can never get a minute of peace lol #momsoftiktok #momlife #ring #camera #kidsoftiktok

As a mom whose husband is a totally involved, hands-on parent who shares child-rearing equally, I can attest that this phenomenon is all too real no matter what. I have watched my children leave the kitchen where their father is cooking to come and ask me where to find something…in the kitchen. He's right. there. A follow-up to this video shows the dad on the ring doorbell, tablet in hand, with the kid still telling Mom the tablet isn't working. So darn funny.

8. Boy reassures rescue dog that he'll be cared for and protected, and where's my tissue?

Gulp. What a sweetheart. And what a lucky doggo.

9. Dog sneaks around on tiptoe to get what he wants and it's hilarious to witness.

Okay, Milton. That is too much. Read more about Milton's sneaky habits here.

10. Here's to the friends who immediately go in for the snuggle when they see you.

​Monkey's all, "Bring it in, buddy." Too sweet.

Feeling better with those soothing neurochemicals flooding your brain? If you'd like to get these serotonin-pumping posts delivered to your inbox each week, you can sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here. Share the joy with someone who needs it and keep the feel-good molecules flowing!

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Science

Astronaut shares the profound 'big lie' he realized after seeing the Earth from space

This change in perspective could change humanity.

via Rubén Moreno Montolíu/Flickr

Our home, from space.

Sixty-one years ago, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to make it into space and probably the first to experience what scientists now call the "overview effect." This change occurs when people see the world from far above and notice that it’s a place where “borders are invisible, where racial, religious and economic strife are nowhere to be seen.”

The overview effect makes man’s squabbles with one another seem incredibly petty and presents the planet as it truly is, one interconnected organism.

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Family

New study shows spanking hurts kids' mental health and is less effective at teaching lessons

Why is it wrong to hit an adult or an animal but OK to spank a child?

Photo by Kat J on Unsplash

Yet another study shows that spanking isn't good for kids.

Whether to spank your child or not is one of the oldest debates among parents. Many live by the age-old wisdom that to “spare the rod” is to “spoil the child,” while others believe it’s wrong to resort to violence to punish a child when so many alternatives exist.

It also begs the question: If it's wrong to hit your spouse or pet, why is it acceptable to hit a defenseless child?

The 2021 American Family Study found that support for spanking has declined in the U.S. over the past few years. In 2015, 54% either somewhat or strongly agreed with the practice, but that number dropped to 47% in 2021. Thirty-five percent of respondents disagree with the practice and 18% neither agree nor disagree.

A new research study from the Parent and Family Research Alliance in Australia led by Professor Sophie Havighurst and Professor Daryl Higgins from Australian Catholic University makes a strong case that people should stop using corporal punishment to discipline their kids. The study “Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform” analyzed countless studies on the topic and found spanking ineffective and harmful.

The study was published to urge lawmakers to make corporal punishment in Australia illegal. Sixty-five states across the world have made corporal punishment illegal, protecting 14% of the world’s children.

The study defined corporal punishment of children as using physical force to cause pain, but not injury, to correct or control a child’s behavior.

The most startling meta-analysis published in the study found that "only 1 out of 111 statistically significant effect sizes was associated with a link between 'spanking' and a positive child outcome," while 110 were found to be associated with adverse outcomes.

The one positive outcome was in a 1972 study of children of the U.S. military living in West Germany that found those spanked showed less amphetamine and opiate use as adults.

However, the remaining 110 significant results found that spanking had adverse effects, including: “reducing trust and connection with those they are closest to, lower self-esteem, more internalizing and externalizing behavior problems including aggression, mental health difficulties, and increased risk for later substance abuse, antisocial behavior, and violence.”

A meta-analysis found that when children are spanked, they are less likely to internalize the moral implications of the behaviors that led them to be disciplined. It also found that non-physical discipline was more effective at teaching “alternative behaviors,” “developing a child’s conscience,” and advancing their “emotional development.”

Another meta-analysis cited in the story found that corporal punishment in childhood was associated with mental health problems, low self-esteem and antisocial behavior.

In the end, the studies show that corporal punishment is counter-productive when it comes to raising healthy, happy children. But it will take much more than a study to get people to reconsider their views of corporal punishment because they are deeply rooted in many cultural traditions.

Looking for some non-physical alternatives to discipline your child? Here’s a great place to start from WebMD.

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Family

Wife cooks nachos for 'picky' husband who refused to eat her salmon. But she has a point.

Should she be cooking two meals?

via TheMamaBrianna/TikTok

Brianna Greenfield makes nachos for her husband.

A viral video showing a woman preparing nachos for her "picky" spouse after he refused to eat the salmon dinner she cooked has sparked a contentious debate on TikTok. The video was shared on April 26 by Brianna Greenfield (@themamabrianna on TikTok) and has since earned over 2.5 million views.

Brianna is a mother of two who lives in Iowa.

The video starts with Brianna grating a massive hunk of cheese with a caption that reads: “My husband didn’t eat the dinner that I made…So let’s make him some nachos.”

“If I don’t feed him, he literally won’t eat,” she wrote. “This used to irritate me. Now I just blame his mother for never making him try salmon,” Greenfield wrote. The video features Meghan Trainor’s single “Mother” playing in the background.

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Identity

Woman’s experience scheduling an EEG highlights the unconscious bias of textured hair

Though her scalp was exposed for the procedure, they still insisted she take her twists out, making it harder to get to her scalp.

Sadé Naima|TikTok

Woman can't schedule EEG due to unconscious textured hair bias.

Getting a medical procedure done can be scary, or at the very least nerve-wracking, no matter how many times you've had it done. It's something that's outside of your normal routine and you're essentially at the mercy of the medical facility and providers. Most of the time, the pre-procedure instructions make sense, and if something catches you by surprise, it's usually easily explained.

Sadé Naima recently had an experience while attempting to get an EEG that wasn't easily explained away. In fact, the entire situation didn't make sense to the TikTok creator who experiences migraines. Naima uploaded a video to the social media platform explaining the sequence of events that happened after her doctor referred her to receive an MRI and EEG.

An MRI uses a magnetic field to generate images and an EEG uses electrodes that stick to your scalp to create images of your brain waves.

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Joy

Heroic train conductor spots and saves 3-year-old autistic, nonverbal boy lost on tracks

He was dangerously close to the third rail.

via MTA info/YouTube

An MTA employee rescues a 3-year-old child on the tracks.

Five Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees are hailed as heroes for their quick thinking and diligence in the April 6 rescue of a young boy. Locomotive Engineer William Kennedy was operating a southbound Hudson Line train near Tarrytown, a few miles north of New York City, when he noticed an unusual object on the northbound track.

That “object” was a 3-year-old boy.

Kennedy sent an emergency call out to all trains in the area, catching the attention of a northbound conductor, Shawn Loughran, and a trainee. Loughran slowed down his train as he approached the child, who was straddling the electrified third rail.

When the train screeched to a halt, Assistant Conductor Marcus Higgins didn't waste a second. Leaping down the tracks, he sprinted 40 yards ahead of the train, scooping up the young child like a guardian angel.

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Health

Here’s how we can use the power of awe to make our lives more fulfilling

Being amazed by things outside ourselves is tremendous for our mental health.

via Benjamin Davies/Unsplash

A young man looking into the sky

The exhilaration of a rock concert. The feeling of deep serenity you experience during a religious ceremony. That sense of connectedness you get while walking through a dense forest. The lightness that flows through your body while dancing and the dissolution of the ego you experience on psychedelics. These are all experiences that give us the feeling of awe.

Most of us love having at least a few of these experiences and believe they help us grow. But now, a team of psychologists has explained why cultivating a sense of awe can benefit our minds and bodies and how we can create these experiences ourselves.

Maria Monroy and Dacher Keltner posit that a sense of awe can help solve the crises of individualism, excessive self-focus, loneliness and a culture of cynicism, and can even improve our physical health. They explain it in a research article titled “Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health.”

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