upworthy
Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button
More

51 pretty shocking facts that make things harder for every woman you have ever met.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, feminism is "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities." That's it. That's all it is. Some of you might be saying to yourselves, "But don't feminists want to destroy us all and hate men and eat babies and stuff?" To which I respond: I think you are confusing feminism with Dr. Evil. They aren't really the same. So here to explain what feminism is really about is the brilliant Laci Green. We had our fact-checkers fact check the hell out of this, and yes, the math at 2:20 is real. And horrifying. If you can watch this and disagree with more than 10% of it, I'll be shocked.

If you are now a feminist after watching this, or just want to see more from Laci, you could Like her Facebook page. And if you'd like to help people understand that feminism isn't coming to kill you but is actually kind of helpful, you could share this. Totally your call.

Apparently, I'm a dude feminist now, so I'm gonna go ahead and do it. But I'm biased what with having a wife of 13 years, a mom, and a very rude but empowered 2-year-old daughter.

More
Education

Gen Z is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents but Denmark has a solution

"Since the late 1800s, every generation has outperformed their parents."

Gen Z; Millennials; technology; cell phones; social media; teens and technology; teens social media
Photo credit: Canva

Gen Z is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents. Denmark has the solution.

Nearly every parent hopes their child will be better off than they are: smarter, more secure, and more well-adjusted. Many parents see this as a stamp of successful parenting, but something has changed for children growing up today. While younger generations are known for their empathy, their cognitive capabilities seem to be lagging behind those of previous generations for the first time in history.

Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, a teacher turned cognitive neuroscientist who focuses on human learning, appeared before Congress to discuss concerns about cognitive development in children. In his address to the members of Congress, he says, "A sad fact that our generation has to face is this: our kids are less cognitively capable than we were at their age. Since we've been standardizing and measuring cognitive development since the late 1800s, every generation has outperformed their parents, and that's exactly what we want. We want sharper kids."

kids, intelligence, sharp kids, generations, education, cognitive abilities Student smiling in a classroom, working on a laptop.Photo credit: Canva

Horvath explains that the reason this happens is that each generation has gone to school longer than the previous generation. Gen Z is no exception to the longer duration of time spent in school, but they're the first ones who aren't meeting this normal increase in cognitive development. According to the cognitive neuroscientist, the decline is due to the introduction of screens in the classroom, which started around 2010.

"Across 80 countries, as Jean was just saying, if you look at the data, once countries adopt digital technology widely in schools, performance goes down significantly. To the point where kids who use computers about five hours per day in school for learning purposes will score over two-thirds of a standard deviation less than kids who rarely or never touch tech at school," Horvath reveals.

In most cases, the decline in performance doesn't result in better strategies. The neuroscientist shares that the standardized testing has been adjusted to accommodate lower expectations and shorter attention spans. This is an approach that educators, scientists, and researchers went to Capitol Hill to express wasn't working. But not every country is taking the approach of lowering standards to meet lowered cognitive ability. Denmark went in the opposite direction when it realized their students were slipping behind.

France24 recently interviewed educators in Denmark following their seemingly novel approach to students struggling with cognitive development. Since the beginning of the 2025/2026 school year, Denmark has not only been having students turn in their cellphones, but they've also taken tablets, laptops, and computers out of the classroom. No more digital learning for the majority of the school day. Danes went old school by bringing back physical textbooks, workbooks, and writing assignments. The results have been undeniable. Even the students can't seem to deny the success of the countrywide shift in educational approach.

"I think the biggest issue has been that, because we kind of got rid of the books and started using screens instead, that we've noticed that a lot of the kids have trouble concentrating, so it's pretty easy to swipe with three fingers over to a different screen and have a video game going, for example, in class," Copenhagen English teacher, Islam Dijab tells France24.

Now, instead of computers being part of every lesson, Denmark uses computers very sparingly and with strict supervision. One student says that it has been nice not having screen time at school because she loves to read and write. But it wasn't just the lack of attention span children were developing, they were also developing low self-esteem and poor mental health due to the amount of time spent on devices.

kids, intelligence, sharp kids, generations, education, cognitive abilities Students focused and ready to learn in the classroom.Photo credit: Canva

The data showing the negative impact of screens on teens' brains has prompted a nationwide change in Denmark that extends outside of the classroom. Afterschool activities are eliminating or extremely limiting electronic use. There is also a national No Phone Day that encourages everyone to put away their devices for the day, and Imran Rashid, a physician and digital health expert, is petitioning parliament to ban social media use for children under the age of 15. The no phone movement in Denmark is a nationwide effort that hopes to right the ship before another generation feels the effects.

From Your Site Articles
teens social media
EducationSchools
Pop Culture

Woman blames her dinner stress on 'Carmen San Diego meal planning' and it's truly spot-on

"Without being dramatic, I think you just changed my life."

carmen san diego, meal planning, easy meal planning, easy recipes, leftovers, food, dinner, recipes, simple recipes, bulk cooking
Fandom.com, Canva

Carmen San Diego (left) a stressed women trying to meal plan (right)

For many of us, the struggle to effectively meal plan is very, very real. It's made all the more challenging with rising grocery prices and less time to actually cook. Perhaps, though, part of the issue comes from the pressure we put on ourselves to treat daily meals like an international vacation.

Or as Evelyn Ngugi, also known as @myinternetcousin, put it, our need to “Carmen Sandiego meal plan.”

“The reason you’re stressed out about meal planning,” Ngugi bluntly began in a TikTok video, is because you’re under the false idea that you need to eat vastly different food every single day.”

Ngugi theorized that this might be a strictly “American” quirk, since we have constant access to so many different cultural cuisines, and thus subconsciously think we need to be “hitting every continent in the span of a calendar week.”

carmen san diego, meal planning, easy meal planning, easy recipes, leftovers, food, dinner, recipes, simple recipes, bulk cooking A family enjoying dinner Photo credit: Canva

This is something you won’t see in non-American households, argued Ngugi.

“Fried rice Monday, taco Tuesday, tikka masala Wednesday... nobody else does that, it’s too much…Have you ever been to a Korean household? Kimchi, kimchi, soy sauce, soy sauce, every single day, every single day.”

And for those who feel they “could never eat the same things every day,” Ngugi had some choice words: “Yes you freaking can!” But she also clarified that it’s more about “scaling it back” than removing any and all variety.

“I’m not saying you gotta eat the same chicken breast and broccoli for seven days in a row, but there’s no need to go all around the world in seven days.”

@myinternetcousin I’m blocking anyone who misses the point govern yourselves accordingly #beansoup ♬ original sound - ✨evelyn✨

Down in the comments, people playfully admitted to being called out:

“Without being dramatic, I think you just changed my life.”

“No cause same, why do I do this to myself?”

“You’re speaking directly to me, and I don’t like it.”

“Did you just call me a culinary slut?”

There were also others who had already adopted Ngugi’s philosophy who chimed in:

“Mine is a rotisserie chicken... on a salad, made into chicken salad, on nachos, made into Verde enchiladas with pepperjack... all of these take me less than 10 mins prep.”

“I meal prep something that makes more than 5 meals so you can freeze some. When I get bored of the meal of the week I hit the freezer for a previous meal.”

“You also can have all that variety if you’re smart about your ingredients. Rotisserie chicken and rice on Monday is chicken fried rice with leftovers on Tuesday.”

“You ever been to a Filipino household? It’s rice and garlic every single day babe.”

"As an Indian family, we had roti every day. Then, we started having Fridays as our ‘other’ days: pizza, burgers, pasta, ONE day of the week lol.”

“Told my mom once that I didn’t want to make Mexican food three nights in a row, and she goes, ‘Mexicans do?’ So simple but changed everything for me lmao.”

carmen san diego, meal planning, easy meal planning, easy recipes, leftovers, food, dinner, recipes, simple recipes, bulk cooking A Mexican family enjoying dinner Photo credit: Canva

It is a luxury to have access to so many different culinary delights, but if what we’re really craving is a bit more peace of mind, maybe we could opt to simplify things a bit.

From Your Site Articles
food
Pop CultureInternet
Science

Helicopters dump 6,000 logs into rivers in the Pacific Northwest, fixing a decades-old mistake

Forty years ago, restoration workers thought logs were the problem. They were wrong.

river restoration, washington, river fish, restoration, Yakama Nation, indigenous land, indigenoues tribes, salmon, trout, pacific northwest
Photo credit: Canva

Restoration workers now see how "critical" wood is to the natural habitat.

For decades, river restoration in the Northwestern United States followed a simple rule: if you saw logs in the water, take them out. Clean streams were seen as healthy streams, fast-moving water was seen as optimal, and wood was treated like a "barrier" to natural processes, particularly those of the local fish.

Now, helicopters are flying thousands of tree trunks back into rivers to undo that thinking.

In central Washington, one of the largest river restoration efforts ever attempted in the region is underway. More than 6,000 logs are being placed along roughly 38 kilometers, or 24 miles, of rivers and streams across the Yakama Reservation and surrounding ceded lands.

Nearly 40 years ago, Scott Nicolai was doing the opposite kind of work, all in the name of restoration.

"(Back then) the fish heads — what I call the fisheries folks — we stood on the banks, and we looked at the stream," Nicolai, a Yakama Nation habitat biologist, told Oregon Public Broadcasting. "If we saw a big log jam, we thought, 'Oh, that's a barrier to fish. We want the stream to flow.'"

river restoration, washington, river fish, restoration, Yakama Nation, indigenous land, indigenoues tribes, salmon, trout, pacific northwest Fish find shelter for spawning in the nooks and crannies of wood. Photo credit: Canva

At the time, logs were removed in an effort to simplify the habitat. However, it soon became clear that wood provided vital "complexity," creating sheltered pockets for salmon and bull trout to spawn and supporting algae that feed aquatic insects. Logs also slow water, spread it across floodplains, and allow it to soak into the groundwater. That water is then slowly released back into streams, helping keep them flowing and cooler during hot, dry periods.

The consequences of removing this "critical part of the system" (in addition to overgrazing, railroad construction, and splash dam logging) were made all too clear over the years as the rivers dried up and wildlife populations declined.

"We're trying to learn from our mistakes and find a better way to manage," said Phil Rigdon, director of the Yakama Nation Department of Natural Resources.

That's why Nicolai is now helping lead a project for the Yakama Nation aimed at rebuilding river complexity by returning logs to their rightful place. Many of these streams are now unreachable by road, which is why helicopters are used. Logs are flown from staging areas and carefully placed at precise drop locations marked with pink and blue flagging tape.

river restoration, washington, river fish, restoration, Yakama Nation, indigenous land, indigenoues tribes, salmon, trout, pacific northwest Many of these streams are now unreachable by road, which is why helicopters are used.Photo credit: Canva

The wood comes from forest-thinning projects led by The Nature Conservancy and includes species such as Douglas fir, grand fir, and cedar. Although some of the timber could have been sold, it is instead being used as river infrastructure.

For tribal leaders, the work carries even deeper meaning. During the helicopter flights, they gathered along the Little Naches River for a ceremony and prayer.

river restoration, washington, river fish, restoration, Yakama Nation, indigenous land, indigenoues tribes, salmon, trout, pacific northwest Tribal leaders gathered by the Little Naches River for a ceremony and prayer.Photo credit: Canva

"It was very simple: to bring what was rightfully part of this land back to us," said former tribal chairman Jerry Meninick.

The aftermath of the original restoration project illustrates how human concepts, such as the belief in the superiority of "cleanliness," can be limited and sometimes cause more harm than good. The miracle of nature, however, is that when left to her own devices, she can heal herself.

From Your Site Articles
animals and wildlife
ScienceConservation
Joy

Europeans simply can't understand what Americans consider a 'long drive' versus a 'short drive'

"Visiting my grandparents who lived 3 hours away was a massive yearly event."

driving, long drive, road trips, driving in america, driving in europe
Photo credit: Canva

Long drives in the United States are very different from those in Europe.

Ask any European about their perceptions of American culture and people, and they'll likely say the United States has some quirks. From apartment buildings to giving strangers compliments to our large portion sizes, the differences can feel innumerable, including how Americans travel by car across the country.

A curious British Redditor asked Americans whether they "actually consider a 3-hour drive 'short'?" They explained, "I'm from the UK, and growing up, visiting my grandparents (who lived 3 hours away) was a massive yearly event. It felt like a serious expedition."

They added that Europeans and Americans have very different perspectives on what qualifies as a "long" or "short" car ride.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"I keep seeing Americans say they drive 3-4 hours just for a weekend visit or even a day trip," they wrote. "Is this an exaggeration, or is my European brain just not comprehending the scale? How do you not go insane driving that long regularly?"

To help Europeans understand, one American Reddit user kindly explained how the geography of the U.S. differs from that of Europe:

"The U.S. is also, geographically, much bigger and more spread out, especially as you head west. The original states (New England and the upper part of the Mid-Atlantic) are more like Europe, where you can drive a few hours and get to a completely different (though similar) place, whereas there are some southeastern, midwestern, and western states where you can drive for 3 hours and still see your house from there."

size of america vs europe, america compared to europe, size of united states, size of europe, size difference america vs europe The size of America versus Europe.Image via Reddit/caseycooke

Another major difference is that American cars are built for longer trips. One Redditor added:

"We tend to buy cars more suited for longer distance highway travel too. Very small hatchback type cars popular in the UK and other European countries are generally terrible for that. They get tons of road noise and vibration and are super fatiguing to drive long distances. Our best selling vehicle, the Ford F150 is a road trip champion."

Beyond that, roads in the U.S. are also designed for long hauls, especially when compared with those in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. Another Redditor noted:

"I think a major difference is that America has the space to build a lot of road infrastructure. The States have had automatic gears and cruise control in their cars as standard for years and years. The roads in the UK are smaller and have been built around things, way more bendy and twisty. Manual gears were/ are more common as well, although that's slightly changing with modern cars here. Think driving for 3 hours is just feels slightly different in these countries for these reasons."

To further explain what Americans consider a "long" or "short" drive, others chimed in with their own experiences and perspectives:

drive, driving, driving in america, driving in the united states, american road trip Driving in the United States.Photo credit: Canva

"3 hour daily commute? Way too long haha. 3 hour drive to a destination spot? SUPER short haha."

"My husband is about to drive about 30 hours (2,000 miles) from the East Coast to Colorado to help his mom out. He'll stay for a week, and then drive back with some stuff that's too expensive to ship. And he doesn't even mind it. Many times, he's driven 6 hours to attend a meeting. Drive out after work one day, stay overnight somewhere, meeting in the morning, stay for lunch, head home. I think the car can find its way itself by now."

"I used to drive 12 hours straight to work twice month, there and back home weeks later. Did that for 7 years. The craziest part of all that is that 90% of all that driving was done going across one state: Texas."

"3-4 hour one way would be maybe once a month thing for me. 90 minutes can be any day."

"Most Americans do not think of a 3 hour drive as something particularly long or unusual. I know many who don't think twice about driving 500 miles a day. Personally I feel like about 350 miles a day is my limit."

From Your Site Articles
long drive
JoyCulture
Business

Fortune 500 'whisperer' shares the 3 questions that will bring almost any argument to a positive end

Disrupt the conversation and get to a solution.

discussion tips, debate, arguments, communication tips, psychology
Photo credit: Canva

Get conversations focused on solutions.

It can be deeply frustrating when an argument, debate, complaint, or negotiation goes off the rails. The fallout can include hurt feelings, mental exhaustion, and even damaged relationships, whether the disagreement happens in a business meeting or around the kitchen table. But one CEO and corporate communication expert suggests three questions he says can help bring a positive conclusion to almost any argument.

Steven Gaffney has worked for more than 30 years as an advisor and communicator for Fortune 500 companies, helping leaders communicate plans and negotiate deals. He said that conversations inside and outside the boardroom can be disrupted and steered toward solutions when one person asks the other party three simple questions.

- YouTube youtu.be

1. What would you suggest?

Instead of trying to convince another person of your point, it may be more fruitful to give them the opportunity to suggest a solution to the shared problem or propose the plan they prefer. This can surface an option they already support, one the two of you can agree on or negotiate further. It can also redirect the conversation toward solution-finding, or help them realize they do not have a clear alternative and may be more open to yours.

2. What would it take for you to agree?

Gaffney said that when this question is asked enough times, the conversation naturally shifts toward finding a solution. It helps clarify what the other person wants, what concerns they have with a proposal, and what they ultimately want the outcome to look like. This provides direct insight into their priorities and allows those concerns to be addressed, which can reduce resistance by helping them feel heard.

3. Can you live with it?

There are times when one or neither person gets 100 percent of what they want. That is simply part of life. Asking this question aloud can surface minor hang-ups that may be blocking an agreement or compromise by encouraging self-reflection, both for the other party and for yourself. If you can "live with it," you have reached a point of agreement. If they can live with it, that is a success as well.

The worst case is that someone cannot live with it, and that is fine. If that happens, Gaffney recommends starting the questioning over with "What would you suggest?" to move past a stopping point in the conversation and explore what other options might be available to both of you.

@collegehumor

Seriously, why can’t we just say the number out loud? #parody #comedy #sketch #collegehumor #business

Professionals chime in

Communication professionals told Upworthy that they largely agree with the themes and intent behind Gaffney's three questions.

"Gaffney's three questions provide a framework that encourages contribution and ensures commitment," said Joel Simon, attorney at Simon Perdue Law Firm. "They create a structured path from uncertainty to clarity and action. I agree these questions work because they redirect dialogue from blame or debate toward collaboration and problem-solving. Each question encourages ownership, transparency, and commitment which aligns with negotiation principles I use daily, where resolving conflicts efficiently while preserving relationships is paramount."

However, while Gaffney has a proven track record and the intent behind his questions is sound, not all of his contemporaries agree that his style of questioning is one-size-fits-all. Jennifer Martin, a communications expert and business consultant with 25 years of experience, said that while she appreciates Gaffney's direct approach, it may not be effective for everyone.

"Just like the world is not filled with only tech gurus and accountants, as leaders we have to be prepared to style-flex and communicate in the language of creatives, salespeople, people pleasers, and the just-the-facts types among others," said Martin. "This is why personality tests are so popular in business."

Communication and workplace culture expert Dallin Cooper largely agreed with the broader intent of Gaffney's questions, saying they place people in an "outcome-focused mindset" that "creates introspection." That said, he also noted that the approach is not foolproof, particularly the final question.

"The key to de-escalating a conversation is to avoid defensiveness, and if you exasperatedly ask someone 'Can you just live with it?,' that often isn't going to end well," explained Cooper. "The delivery, the tone, and the wording of a question like that can make a huge difference in making it feel non-combative."

@kyleinspires

People who practice conversations predict social outcomes 44% more accurately #socialanxiety #introvert #communication #neuroscience #brain

Like Cooper, Martin was also concerned with how the questions are asked. She suggested that, depending on the other person's personality, communicators may need to tailor their message in a way the audience can best receive. Some people respond well to direct bluntness, while others may require more finesse.

Martin recommended approaching the other party with the intention of allowing them to express their point of view, while keeping the focus on understanding what they want in order to find a solution that fits.

"As all any of us really want is to be seen, heard, respected, and considered," she said.

"One thing these questions all have in common is that they are undeniably good questions to ask yourself," concluded Cooper. "They will help you understand why you're having the conversation, whether it's worth having, and keep you focused on a solution. All great things to ask yourself. And all good things to ask someone else if you ask them at the right time, and in the right way."

From Your Site Articles
conversation tips
BusinessEducation
Trending Stories