
Your weekly roundup of internet sunshine.
Hey everyone! Hope you're staying safe and healthy, and if you're not, at least you know you're not alone. I mean, omicron? Phew. Pandemics certainly know how to keep us on our toes.
If you need a respite or distraction from all that, we've got you covered. If immersing yourself in cute animal videos and feel-good stories of human awesomeness is wrong, who wants to be right? Nobody, that's who.
We all need a break from the less pleasant parts of life, and cheering ourselves up with simple, happy things is a tried and true way to push those endorphins and lift our mood for a bit.
So here you go. Our weekly roundup of 10 things that made us smile. Hope it makes you smile, too.
All you need is a dog, a toddler and a flashlight.
@m.tothea.d.i When these two find a flashlight 🙄 #toddlersoftiktok #bellylaughs #dogsofttiktok #giggles #babygiggle #dogandbaby #bestfriends #babylaugh
It's like watching a cat chase a laser, only 500 times cuter.
An equally odd but impressive cover of "Sweet Child o' Mine."
This is so good! \n\nVia @davmirandapic.twitter.com/D3pJT4YM4j— Ann is still European \ud83c\udf0dI know where I live (@Ann is still European \ud83c\udf0dI know where I live) 1641997370
Researchers find at least 65 species that laugh, and fox giggles are like medicine.
These foxes sound like we took the toddler in the first video and put them on helium. Did you know at least 65 species laugh in some way? Read the full story here.
From animals laughing to animals noshing on corn.
We don't know why but we can't get enough of hearing Rico the porcupine snacking!pic.twitter.com/AabtDpR2JJ— Cincinnati Zoo (@Cincinnati Zoo) 1641661220
Why is this so cute and kinda gross at the same time?
News anchor mom reports on her toddler's Olive Garden tantrum.
@kaylareporting Now accepting donations for babysitters & or take out! Venmo: @Kayla-Sullivan-96 🤣 #NewsVoice #ToddlerMom #EveryKiss #newsvoice #YerAWizard #2022
Kayla Sullivan really did work as a reporter, which is clear from her perfect reporter voice. But the toddler imitation of "Chech-up! CHECH-UUUP!!" takes the cake. Read the full story here.
Sheep-herding puppy in training seems to get some love from the sheep.
Anatolian shepherd dog puppy in training..pic.twitter.com/hqxaPmCcEd— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden) 1642016833
Come on now. This is just precious. You can almost hear the one sheep say, "Nope, over here, little one," when the pupper veers off the path.
Stranger delights opera star by standing up and singing with her during an encore.
The video text gives you the gist, but this story is just one of the best things to go viral in a while. Read the full story here.
Cellist appears to summon deer with her cello-playing.
Perhaps the low notes mimick deer sounds, or perhaps they really just enjoy Bach.
Cat who wanders into school gets his own picture and ID card.
Ever since the Jean and Jorts cats-at-work saga went viral, people have been all about the orange tabbies, and Buster getting his own ID card is just too much.
Strangers plucked at random improvise at a lindy hop dance contest.
The dancing would be impressive even if they knew each other, but these West Coast Swing dancers and the song were chosen on the spot, so they had to improvise. They're so smooth together.
Hope that brought some light to your day! Come back next week for another roundup of internet sunshine.
- Pharrell's 'Happy' in sign language is even better than the original ... ›
- 10 things guaranteed to make you smile from this week - Upworthy ›
- When you ask people around the world what makes them happy ... ›
- 10 delightful finds from around the internet this week - Upworthy ›
- Student wins spelling bee in intense lightning round - Upworthy ›
- Ferret adorably insist that her human see her new babies - Upworthy ›
- The 'corn kid' is making the most of his internet fame. - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."