How can we harness technology to create a more sustainable and equitable world?
This article was produced in partnership with the United Nations to launch the biggest-ever global conversation on the role of cooperation in building the future we want. Share your voice by taking the 1-minute UN75 survey. Technology can be—and has been—used in ways that both help and harm humanity. On the up side, advancements in…
This article was produced in partnership with the United Nations to launch the biggest-ever global conversation on the role of cooperation in building the future we want. Share your voice by taking the 1-minute UN75 survey.
Technology can be—and has been—used in ways that both help and harm humanity. On the up side, advancements in digital technologies have been a huge factor in making progress on world-changing initiatives like the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. On the downside, the misuse of technology can threaten privacy, erode individual and collective security, and fuel inequalities.
How can we harness and develop digital tools that can help us create a more sustainable and equitable world? How do we weigh the risks and opportunities of technological revolutions in global health, social media, work, and data? How can we manage technology in ways that bridge the gap between the future we want and where we are currently headed?
As part of the UN’s 75th anniversary, we asked individuals and organizations to join us in a Leap Day #UpChat on Twitter to discuss these questions and how we can make leaps in technology work for us all. Here are some highlights from the enlightening, informative, and inspiring discussion.
Q1: Technology can be a great equalizer. How has it been used to improve humanity?
A1: Since 2000, over 400K technology and science-focused projects were funded on our site. Our teachers are heroes when it comes to using technology to introduce new concepts to their kids, and help them envision a better tomorrow. #UpChat#UN75— DonorsChoose (@DonorsChoose) February 28, 2020
A1. Brilliance is evenly distributed around the world, yet resources are not. Technology is the most powerful tool we have to narrow this accessibility gap. #UN75#UpChat— Watsi (@watsi) February 28, 2020
From ?️ scans for registering refugees…
… to the photos of family members left behind on their ?…
One very recent personal example: I was involved in a car accident with a Korean woman who spoke no English and she was left without transportation. Google Translate helped me check on her, offer a ride, figure out where to take her.& we exchanged snacks!#UN75#UPCHAT@Upworthyhttps://t.co/tjyN3ogSDy— Kayem ?? ⵣ (@thisisKayem) February 28, 2020
Q2. Which organizations or individuals are using technology for good?
A2. What I find most incredible is that ANYONE can use tech for good. Whether making your voice heard, donating to support others/causes you care about, scaling what works and monitoring what doesn't, we can ALL leverage tech to unlock potential around the world. #UpChat#UN75— Mackinnon Engen ☀️ (@mackinnonw) February 28, 2020
Q3. How has your organization used technology to drive success towards the SDGs?
A3: PIH co-developed @OpenMRS, now used by 100+ PIH-supported facilities plus partners in 60+ countries. The electronic medical records system helps clinicians retrieve patient information and make accurate diagnoses and treatment plans more efficiently. #UpChat#UN75@Upworthy— Partners In Health (@PIH) February 28, 2020
A3: #UpChat#UN75 I’m an author/consultant, been writing about how social impact organizations are leveraging #AI to drive success towards SDGS– one of my favorite examples is @UNRefugeeAgency – lots of amazing work from their highly acclaimed innovation unit THE HIVE — Beth Kanter (@kanter) February 28, 2020
A3: We’re really excited about our upcoming International Women’s Day celebration, where our goal is to fund every single woman borrower on https://t.co/5XJFc8E83o! With small steps like this, we’re working towards greater gender equality, one of the @UN’s SDGs.#UpChat#UN75https://t.co/reoyRcJVN1— kiva.org (@Kiva) February 28, 2020
A3: We couldn’t create the depth of impact we have without tech! Our global mentorship program, representing girls from 70 countries, connects high school girls to inspiring women. Tech allows us to amplify our voices beyond usual advocacy communities #Upchat#UN75@JoinUN75— Priyanka Jaisinghani (@Pripri_125) February 28, 2020
Q4: In a world of fake news, data security issues, and the darker side of social media (read: trolls), how do you stay motivated?
A4: By connecting with individual stories, we are able to look beyond the broader stereotypes that fake news and trolls often use to create divides between people with different worldviews. #UpChat#UN75 [2/2]— USA for UNHCR (@UNRefugeeAgency) February 28, 2020
A4: Our co-founder @premal once called Kiva a “hopeful corner of the Internet.” Creating econ. and social impact with our borrowers has, & will always be, the core of what we do. This community believing in what we do & the difference Kiva makes keeps us motivated!#UpChat#UN75https://t.co/YmmEIVnHkw— kiva.org (@Kiva) February 28, 2020
Q4. People on-the-ground. Can be super-efficient to sit behind a laptop and “influence” others but you can also weaken your passion and empathy. Like any type of faith, social impact work requires leaning in and ‘doing good with our hands’ also! #UpChat#UN75— Tarik ? Schmarick (@TarikbyDesign) February 28, 2020
I focus on the people who are fighting for positive change. They give me hope and remind me that we don't have time to feel overwhelmed – there is too much to lose. #UpChat#UN75https://t.co/rT2mW2rbF0— Annie Rosenthal ?? (@anniero2727) February 28, 2020
Q5: Misinformation is more prevalent than ever. What are your recommendations on how to address the issue?
A5: .@Upworthy Also – don't be afraid to admit you don't understand something! We can't clear up misinformation unless we know what we're talking about. We have to be willing to risk our pride and ask “stupid” questions. #UpChat#UN75— Making Sense of Science (@MkngSenseOfSci) February 28, 2020
Q6: Throughout history, technological revolutions have changed the labor force. How will it impact the future of work in the next decade?
A6: Now more than ever, tech has allowed people to be more connected across nations & cultures, increasing social/econ. mobility! Access to capital can increase entrepreneurial activity and uplift people who otherwise would be unable to leave previous circumstances. #UpChat#UN75https://t.co/Bi9jtcPZRQ— kiva.org (@Kiva) February 28, 2020
A6: .@Upworthy Right now we have about 4.7 million Americans working remotely. That number is only going to increase in the next ten years. #UpChat#UN75— Making Sense of Science (@MkngSenseOfSci) February 28, 2020
A6: For example, #refugees are learning technical skills through online programs but are often restricted within camps. Technology allows them to access a global economy and earn income for their families. #UpChat#UN75 [2/2] pic.twitter.com/3TA9e2BUq7— USA for UNHCR (@UNRefugeeAgency) February 28, 2020
A6: With technological transformation happening faster than before, we will acquire new skills; unlearn old ones. Within the next decade, there will be a large percentage of jobs that haven’t even been created yet #UpChat#UN75— Priyanka Jaisinghani (@Pripri_125) February 28, 2020
Q7: What responsibilities do businesses and governments have as they increasingly have more access to our personal data?
A7: I'm personally concerned with facial recognition #AI used in criminal investigations being used to also proactively invade our privacy and to contain burgeoning social movements deemed too disruptive by the government cc: #BlackLivesMatter. #UpChat#UN75@JoinUN75https://t.co/6FhvjotZDE— Michael Bellavia (@mrbellavia) February 28, 2020
Q8. What does a digital future for all look like?
A8: We envision a digital future where everyone has equal financial access to improve their lives. That starts w/ digitally accessible identification, which we’re implementing worldwide w/ the @UN! Lack of ID has often excluded people & tech is changing that story. #UpChat#UN75https://t.co/irTBqEE4go— kiva.org (@Kiva) February 28, 2020
A8: We hope for a future that's more representative of the global population and includes individuals affected by technology in the decision making process. #Refugees have insights & technical skills to offer, and they should be included every step of the way. #UpChat#UN75https://t.co/Us5KM6sEOm— USA for UNHCR (@UNRefugeeAgency) February 28, 2020
A8. If built with care: Creating direct connections across humanity. Accessibility. Opportunity. Sharing knowledge + collaboration to tackle our world's largest challenges. Ultimately, a healthier world for all. #UpChat#UN75— Watsi (@watsi) February 28, 2020
A8: A digital future for all is one that connects and unites the community. Effective problem solving will require our collective knowledge to build a better future and, in our case, ensure children have access to quality education. #UpChat#UN75— DonorsChoose (@DonorsChoose) February 28, 2020
A8: We have a crystal ball. It's brighter than it is today because there are more people and organizations working towards making a positive #socialimpact than against it, even if sometimes the media paints a darker picture. Hey Humanity, #WeGotThis! #UpChat#UN75@JoinUN75https://t.co/emvoM39TFs— HelpGood (@HelpGoodAgency) February 28, 2020
Ideally, is to have everyone benefitting in a digitally connected and secure internet and have equal chance to opportunities offered including development. What I want to see – The global world at the same table speaking coding, human rights and access #UpChat#UN75https://t.co/Me3taXDQ4M— Nashilongo (@Nashilongo) February 28, 2020
Q9. How have you seen youth influence the way we use digital technology?
A9: The innovation and fresh ideas that come from thoughtful, talented and passionate youth around the world cannot be understated. We can only move forward towards a more inclusive world w/ new ideas from the most spirited individuals of all ages! ? #UpChat#UN75https://t.co/ICFRicIlpn— kiva.org (@Kiva) February 28, 2020
.@upworthy Tech has managed to eradicate entire diseases and uplift so many marginalized communities — I'm sure this will continue into the future as well! #UpChat#UN75— Making Sense of Science (@MkngSenseOfSci) February 28, 2020
If you’d like to join our next UpChat or see previous chats on global issues, follow us on Twitter and check out @JoinUN75. You can also let your voice be heard with the UN’s public survey here.
In March 2023, after months of preparation and paperwork, Anita Omary arrived in the United States from her native Afghanistan to build a better life. Once she arrived in Connecticut, however, the experience was anything but easy.
“When I first arrived, everything felt so strange—the weather, the environment, the people,” Omary recalled. Omary had not only left behind her extended family and friends in Afghanistan, she left her career managing child protective cases and supporting refugee communities behind as well. Even more challenging, Anita was five months pregnant at the time, and because her husband was unable to obtain a travel visa, she found herself having to navigate a new language, a different culture, and an unfamiliar country entirely on her own.
“I went through a period of deep disappointment and depression, where I wasn’t able to do much for myself,” Omary said.
Then something incredible happened: Omary met a woman who would become her close friend, offering support that would change her experience as a refugee—and ultimately the trajectory of her entire life.
Understanding the journey
Like Anita Omary, tens of thousands of people come to the United States each year seeking safety from war, political violence, religious persecution, and other threats. Yet escaping danger, unfortunately, is only the first challenge. Once here, immigrant and refugee families must deal with the loss of displacement, while at the same time facing language barriers, adapting to a new culture, and sometimes even facing social stigma and anti-immigrant biases.
Welcoming immigrant and refugee neighbors strengthens the nation and benefits everyone—and according to Anita Omary, small, simple acts of human kindness can make the greatest difference in helping them feel safe, valued, and truly at home.
A warm welcome
Dee and Omary's son, Osman
Anita Omary was receiving prenatal checkups at a woman’s health center in West Haven when she met Dee, a nurse.
“She immediately recognized that I was new, and that I was struggling,” Omary said. “From that moment on, she became my support system.”
Dee started checking in on Omary throughout her pregnancy, both inside the clinic and out.
“She would call me and ask am I okay, am I eating, am I healthy,” Omary said. “She helped me with things I didn’t even realize I needed, like getting an air conditioner for my small, hot room.”
Soon, Dee was helping Omary apply for jobs and taking her on driving lessons every weekend. With her help, Omary landed a job, passed her road test on the first attempt, and even enrolled at the University of New Haven to pursue her master’s degree. Dee and Omary became like family. After Omary’s son, Osman, was born, Dee spent five days in the hospital at her side, bringing her halal food and brushing her hair in the same way Omary’s mother used to. When Omary’s postpartum pain became too great for her to lift Osman’s car seat, Dee accompanied her to his doctor’s appointments and carried the baby for her.
“Her support truly changed my life,” Omary said. “Her motivation, compassion, and support gave me hope. It gave me a sense of stability and confidence. I didn’t feel alone, because of her.”
More than that, the experience gave Omary a new resolve to help other people.
“That experience has deeply shaped the way I give back,” she said. “I want to be that source of encouragement and support for others that my friend was for me.”
Extending the welcome
Omary and Dee at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Vision Awards ceremony at the University of New Haven.
Omary is now flourishing. She currently works as a career development specialist as she continues her Master’s degree. She also, as a member of the Refugee Storytellers Collective, helps advocate for refugee and immigrant families by connecting them with resources—and teaches local communities how to best welcome newcomers.
“Welcoming new families today has many challenges,” Omary said. “One major barrier is access to English classes. Many newcomers, especially those who have just arrived, often put their names on long wait lists and for months there are no available spots.” For women with children, the lack of available childcare makes attending English classes, or working outside the home, especially difficult.
Omary stresses that sometimes small, everyday acts of kindness can make the biggest difference to immigrant and refugee families.
“Welcome is not about big gestures, but about small, consistent acts of care that remind you that you belong,” Omary said. Receiving a compliment on her dress or her son from a stranger in the grocery store was incredibly uplifting during her early days as a newcomer, and Omary remembers how even the smallest gestures of kindness gave her hope that she could thrive and build a new life here.
“I built my new life, but I didn’t do it alone,” Omary said. “Community and kindness were my greatest strengths.”
Are you in? Click here to join the Refugee Advocacy Lab and sign the #WeWillWelcome pledge and complete one small act of welcome in your community. Together, with small, meaningful steps, we can build communities where everyone feels safe.
This article is part of Upworthy’s “The Threads Between U.S.” series that highlights what we have in common thanks to the generous support from the Levi Strauss Foundation, whose grantmaking is committed to creating a culture of belonging.
Optical illusions are wild. The way our brains perceive what our eyes see can be way off base, even when we’re sure about what we’re looking at. Plenty of famous optical illusions have been created purposefully, from the Ames window that appears to be moving back and forth when it’s actually rotating 360 degrees, to the spiral image that makes Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” look like it’s moving.
But sometimes optical illusions happen by accident. Those ones are even more fun because we know they aren’t a result of someone trying to trick our brains. Our brains do the tricking all by themselves.
The popular Massimo account on X shared a photo that appears to be a person and two dogs in the snow. The more you look at it, the more you see just that—two dogs and someone who is presumably their owner. Turn the photo every which way and it’s still the same conclusion.
That’s a person and two dogs, right?
This is how optical illusions mess with your mind.
But there are not two dogs in the photo. There are actually three dogs in this picture. Can you see the third?
Full confession time: I didn’t see it at first. Not even when someone explained that the “human” is actually a dog. My brain couldn’t see anything but a person with two legs, dressed all in black, with a furry hat and some kind of furry stole or jacket. My brain definitely did not see a black poodle, which is what the “person” actually is.
Are you looking at the photo and trying to see it, totally frustrated? The big hint is that the poodle is looking toward the camera. The “hat” on the “person” is the poodle’s poofy tail, and the “scarf/stole” is the poodle’s head.
Once you see it, it fairly clear, but for many of us, our brains did not process it until it was explicitly drawn out. This outline helps somewhat:
That one took me AGES to see. Owner is is a 3rd dog closer to the camera. The black fur hides the contours. pic.twitter.com/X8OvGfqlBV
As one person explained, the black fur hides the contours and shadows, so all our brains take in is the outline, which looks very much like a person facing away from us.
People’s reactions to the optical illusion were hilarious.
One person wrote, “10 years later: I still see two dogs and a man.”
Another person wrote, “I agree with ChatGPT :)” and shared a screenshot of the infamous AI chatbot describing the photo as having a person in the foreground. Even when asked, “Could the ‘person’ be another dog?” ChatGPT said it’s possible, but not likely. Ha.
One reason we love optical illusions is that they remind us just how very human we are. Unlike a machine that takes in and spits out data, our brains perceive and interpret what our senses bring in—a quality that has helped us through our evolution. But the way our brains piece things together isn’t perfect. Even ChatGPT’s response is merely a reflection of our human imperfections at perception being mirrored back at us. They say seeing is believing, but when what we interpret what we’re seeing incorrectly, we end up believing things that might not be real.
Sure is fun to play with how our brains work, though. Also a good reminder that what we think we see, even with our own eyes, may not be an accurate picture of reality.
This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.
Art is magical because it can be found anywhere at any time. So when New Yorkers got close to three feet of snow dumped on their city, many dug deep into their creative sides. They took to the parks and contributed to building a winter wonderland of whimsical snow creatures.
Of course, this wasn’t just any snowfall. It was a full-on blizzard causing travel bans, school and street closures, and power outages in all five New York City boroughs and the surrounding cities and states in the Northeast.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced an old-fashioned snow day by FaceTiming an 8th-grade student named Victoria. “So my only ask to you is that you just stay safe, stay indoors during the height of the storm,” he told her. “Once that has passed, feel free to go out and sled.”
For many residents, the powdery, white snow became a sculpting canvas. Photographer Matthew Dean Stewart took to a park in Brooklyn to show off some of the most adorable creations. Captioning the video, “I LOVE BROOKLYN,” we first see a puppy snowman who looks not unlike a Pixar character begging for love.
Then he moves on to a more traditional snowman, complete with an orangey pink nose that he, of course, “boops.” Another snowman has an orange hat. Yet another is just basic snowballs piled atop one another.
Stewart also points out a detailed pyramid that someone built. “How did they even DO that? That’s pretty impressive.”
We next see a woman on the ground stirring strawberry ice cream in a silver bowl. “She’s making ice cream in the snow!” Stewart exclaims. She gives him a spoonful to which he replies, “This is so good. This is the best day of my life.”
Aside from traditional snowmen (giant, faceless, tiny carrot-nosed), some sculptures were clearly made by potentially professional artists. One snowperson is wrapped around a tree, complete with hair made from leaves. “It has hair! And it has a butt!” Stewart points out.
Another is a “study” Hello Kitty snow-cat. Then we get to the duck. “It’s a duck. What else would it be? That’s like super detailed,” Stewart quips.
Some people got incredibly creative and used trees as the actual canvas and snow as the “paint.” “That is adorable. It looks like it has hair,” he says about one. Another artist used a similar idea to “paint” a snow lizard climbing a tree.
Perhaps coolest of all: other artists built an actual igloo on which they’ve written “The people’s igloo.” They sit inside, illuminated by a light (possibly from a smartphone!).
It’s Stewart’s joyous giggling and earnest commentary that gives the snow creature tour that extra delightful touch. “That s–t was whimsical as f$%$,” he concludes.
The comment section agrees. The clip already has over 265,000 likes and thousands of comments. One notes, “The fact that I know without a doubt that every single one of them was made by fully grown adults and not one actual kid was around for the making of these snowmen is hilarious.”
Others simply marvel at the whimsy of the city. “What a display of joy!” “This is incredible – so New York!” one writes. “Humans at their finest. It’s freezing and they made art. AI could never,” said another.
A few of the artists eventually came forward to claim their work: Dori Miller (@dori.miller) writes, “I made that lizard!” And when asked who designed the “tree hugger,” Michael Galligan (@Michael_galligan) chimed in, “That was me and Maddy Rosaler (@maddyrosaler).”
Dazed by the igloo, one Instagrammer writes, “I’m sorry, but there aren’t enough people in these comments talking about that igloo. A WHOLE IGLOO! WHAT? Incredible.”
Perfect conditions for snowmen
As terrific as these snow creations are, it takes a certain temperature and snow type to make it all work—even for the most brilliant artists. A 2015 article in Smithsonian Magazine explains the science behind it, citing perfectly-named physicist Dan Snowman, who says, “Snow can be either too wet or too dry.”
“Scientists actually classify snow based on its moisture content—the amount of free water relative to ice crystals—not to be confused with the amount of water the snow would produce if melted. Snow comes in five categories: dry (zero percent water), moist (less than 3 percent), wet (3 to 8 percent), very wet (8 to 15 percent), and slush (more than 15 percent).”
For snowman-building weather, it’s best to have moist snow. “Dry snow is like a loose powder with particles that don’t stick together very well, while slush is too fluid to hold a shape.”
Temperature-wise, the weather needs to be just a bit above freezing. As for the “where” of it all: “Once the raw material is on the ground, it’s time to select your snowman-building surface. Level ground is best, but asphalt absorbs and holds heat from sunlight, so avoid driveways. A flat spot near the bottom of a large hill could provide shade and keep your creation safe from direct warmth from the sun—although it may wind up as a target for sleds.”
What makes a ‘good person’ is hard to quantify, but sometimes, you just know it when you see it. But that’s the problem, you can’t always see it. Have you ever met somebody new and wondered if they were a good person with a mischievous streak or a bad person who can turn on the charm and behave occasionally? Determining someone’s true moral character is important, especially if you start dating them or have a business relationship. It is crucial to get to the core of who they are and know whether they can be trusted.
Popular TikTok philosopher and Substack writer Juan de Medeiros recently shared a great way to determine whether someone is good or bad. His rubric for judging someone’s moral character comes from a quote commonly attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German poet, playwright, novelist, and intellectual known for works like Faust and The Sorrows of Young Werther.
How can you tell if someone is a good or a bad person?
“Here’s a pretty good indicator that somebody is a bad person and vice versa, how you can spot a good one. And this goes back to a simple rule, a moral aphorism by Goethe in which he writes, ‘Never trust someone who is unkind to those who can do nothing for him,’” de Medeiros shared in a TikTok video with over 45,000 views.
“Never trust someone who is unkind to those who can do nothing for him.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
De Medeiros then provided real-world ways to determine whether the person you have questions about is good or bad. “A bad person is unfriendly to strangers, to the elderly, to children, to service staff, to anybody they’re not trying to impress,” he said. At the same time, the good person treats people equally, no matter what they can do for him. They’re good for goodness sake, not to get anything out of it.
“A good person carries grace within them and shares it freely with abundance. A good person treats other people as they would like to be treated as well. And it doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what your status is, they will treat you and see you as their equal,” de Medeiros said.
an instant green flag was when my current bf took me to a restaurant n the waiter brought us our food but had clearly forgotten about his drink and bc he didn't want her to feel bad he went "hey sorry I forgot earlier but could I also have a glass of water with my *drink name*?"
Goethe’s quote echoes the common red/green flag test that many people have on dates. Sure, it’s important if your date is courteous and treats you well on the date, but you really want to watch how they interact with the server. The rule is often called “The Waiter Rule,” outlined by William Swanson. Swanson, the former chairman and CEO of Raytheon Company, wrote in his book, 33 Unwritten Rules of Management, “A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter—or to others—is not a nice person.” Boxer Muhammad Ali is also known for saying something similar: “I don’t trust anyone who’s nice to me but rude to the waiter. Because they would treat me the same way if I were in that position.”
'I don't trust anyone who's nice to me but rude to the waiter. Because they would treat me the same way if I were in that position.'
— The Loneliest Sport (@LoneliestSport) April 5, 2023
Rudeness toward the waitstaff also indicates that the person isn’t very smart. It’s not wise to be rude to someone who is in charge of your meal for the night.
Conversely, a good person is kind to others without looking for anything in return because they want to spread joy and believe that others deserve respect. You are what you do, not what you think or believe, and when someone treats others with goodness, it’s a clear indicator of the type of person they are.
In the end, we are all a mixed bag of behaviors and attitudes, and even the most perfect of us has a devil on their shoulder telling them that it’s okay to occasionally get into a bit of mischief. However, when it comes down to determining someone’s core character, how they treat those who can do nothing for them says everything.
This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.
“You are not going to come home with me?” he said, audibly frustrated. When she said no, he pushed back: “But I bought you a drink.” She got up and walked away.
A TikTok user who goes by @tripptokk10 was standing nearby when this happened, already at the bar ordering his own drink. He watched the woman leave, looked at the man still standing there working through his grievance, and made a decision. He ordered two shots.
“I slide it over to him,” he explained in his TikTok video, posted December 20, 2025. They took the shots together. Then he leaned in and made his point: “So are you going to come home with me or what?”
The logic was the same. The conclusion was absurd. That was exactly the point.
In the video, filmed casually at home in a robe and bonnet, he explained what he was responding to: “This one’s for the boys who think buying a woman a drink at the bar means that she should go home with you. No, it doesn’t. She doesn’t know you.”
A man stares at a woman at a bar. Photo Credit: Canva
The same creator posted a second video about another night, different bar, same basic dynamic. This time a man had approached one of his female friends, put his hands on her shoulders without asking, and kept going despite her visibly trying to shrug him off. When she tried to walk away, he reached for her hand. The TikTok user stepped in and told him to back off.
What happened next is the part that stayed with people. The man started apologizing, directing the apology not at the woman he’d been grabbing, but at the guy who’d intervened. “You didn’t do anything to me,” the creator told him. “You were harassing her.”
The man’s response: “I respect you so much.”
He described how confused and frustrated he felt in that moment. “Go apologize to her and change your behavior,” he said in the video, “because an apology without changed behavior is just a manipulation tactic.”
That line hit harder than the shot glass moment for a lot of viewers. The dynamic he was describing, where a man harms a woman and then seeks absolution from another man rather than the person he actually hurt, is one that gets talked about in academic gender studies literature but rarely gets explained so plainly in a 60-second video in a bathrobe.
Neither incident is complicated. Nobody got arrested, nobody threw a punch, nobody did anything that required a news alert. What spread was simpler than that: one person noticed something wrong, said something proportionate, and kept his head on straight when the whole thing got weird. Apparently that’s still worth talking about.
This article originally appeared earlier this year.
Accents are regional in America. Two people can be from the same state but live hours apart, resulting in wildly different accents. The same is true for Massachusetts. People living in Cambridge don’t have the same accent as those living in Boston.
The South Boston accent is so iconic that it has captured the hearts of people who have never even been there. This is likely due to a few famous Bostonians. Mark Wahlberg and his brothers, as well as the best-friend duo of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, are all from Boston. They’ve let their native Boston accent shine on the big screen more than once, helping cement the accent’s popularity.
But sadly, the endearing way Bostonians drop their “R” for the “ah” sound is fading, and fast. In a few short decades, people may not understand why someone would teasingly ask a Bostonian to say “car keys.” The famous “park the car in the Harvard Yard” line won’t hit the same. All Rs will be present and accounted for.
Where’s the Boston accent going?
So what’s happening with the accent that many Americans like attempting to mimic? The simple answer: humans migrate. We’ve been migrating since standing upright became a thing. Sure, we don’t migrate to follow food sources anymore, but we do follow jobs, social safety-net programs, and educational opportunities. As people from other states and countries move into Boston, and Bostonians move out, the accent becomes a casualty.
A group of people take a selfie. Photo credit: Canva
Katherine Loftus, a native Bostonian and mom of two school-aged children, is a little sad about the accent disappearing. Her young children don’t have the iconic accent and tease her a bit for not pronouncing her Rs.
“It might sound funny because it’s almost sort of this surface level, like, ‘what’s the big deal if your kids don’t have the accent that you have,’ but I have to admit that there’s a real sadness to the fact that they don’t have it at all,” she tells The Boston Globe. “There’s something for me that I’m very proud of that I sound like my dad, that I sound like my grandparents, that I sound like when you hear me, you know who I am.”
According to linguist Ezra Wyschogrod, the mesmerizing South Boston accent has already reached its peak. He explains that there’s a trend toward the homogenization of American speech as people move more frequently. The City of Boston Planning Department reports that there are currently more than 100 different languages spoken in Boston. Additionally, more than 285,000 Boston residents are multilingual.
“A lot of one’s dialect, and even one’s language, gets codified at very young ages amongst peer groups, and there are much less peer groups in Boston where you have all the kids that are all Boston kids,” Wyschogrod tells The Boston Globe. “New accents form all the time, and for all we know, whatever new mix that Boston is, there could be some new accent that everyone just starts noticing.”
It turns out the missing R is something that only started around 100 years ago. Now, that pesky consonant is returning after a brief centennial hiatus. Wyschogrod doesn’t want people to worry. No one is revoking anyone’s Boston card if they don’t drop their Rs.
“There was this interesting period where we were R-less, and now we’re back to this R-full speech,” Wyschogrod reveals. “We were distinctly New England before that. We were distinctly New England during this R-less period, and we’re going to be distinctly New England after.”
The South Boston accent isn’t the only one getting the boot. As people do what they’ve been doing since the dawn of time—move—dialect is evolving. Today reports that multiple studies have shown that the “Southern twang, the Texas drawl, and even the beloved Brooklynese are all slowly changing.”
Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker, a speech and communications consultant, explains to Today that while the Boston accent might fade, it isn’t going to disappear completely.
“I don’t think the accent is ever going away, honestly, but I do think it’s changing,” she says. “Our lives are much more varied than they used to be.”
It’s true that we all have the same 24 hours in a day. But it’s our own personal relationship to those 24 hours that greatly determines what that day looks like.
Time is one of those things that is both a constant in our collective reality, and yet highly subjective to the individual. It’s why one person hears “We need to be there 6:30” and translates that to “We need to be out the door in fifteen minutes,” and another person translates it as “Oh, I have plenty of time to change my clothes, walk the dogs, listen to a podcast, and clean out that junk drawer!” And of course, these two individuals will be spouses. It is universal law.
It would seem that—much like how knowing whether you’re an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between can help you navigate social settings—knowing your MO when it comes to time management can really help make your day flow a lot smoother.
That’s where the four “time personalities” come in.
In an article for Verywell Mind, experts Kristin Anderson, LCSW, and Dr. Ryan Sultan, explained that most of us fall somewhere on a spectrum between “very rigid” and “very flexible.” There are, of course, various factors that dictate why we might fall into a certain spot—including neurodiversity, age, and other aspects of our overall personality. But regardless, knowing the gifts and challenges of our go-to time management settings can greatly affect how we “function.”
See which one below seems to resonate the most.
The 4 Time Personalities
1. The Time Optimist
The never-ending mantra, or perhaps the “famous last words,” of this personality is “I’ve got plenty of time!” regardless of what the clock says.
Because of this, Sultan says time optimists “don’t really feel pressure under a time crunch.” They truly believe they can fit multiple tasks into a short amount of time and don’t easily account for potential delays, which leads to chronic tardiness.
“They’re ones who leave for a dinner reservation with just enough time to get there, as long as there’s no traffic and they hit every green light,” said Sultan.
Folks who consider themselves time optimists might benefit from exploring the “double it rule,” which has you automatically double the amount of time you think it’ll take to get somewhere or complete a task.
2. Time Anxious
Unlike time optimists, “time anxious” personalities feel an enormous amount of pressure, assuming “everything that can go wrong, will go wrong (e.g., traffic, delays, getting lost on the way).” Therefore, they attempt to ease this tension by showing up to things incredibly early.
Dealing with time anxiety involves many of the same tools to handle everyday anxiety, such as grounding techniques (5-4-3-2-1 technique, deep breathing), cognitive restructuring (challenging perfectionism, setting realistic goals), and structured planning (using calendars/apps, setting “worry time”). These strategies help shift focus from the future to the present, reducing the fear of wasted time. And maybe, just maybe, the time anxious can experiment with being fashionably late to low-pressure situations.
3. Time Bender
For time benders, the whole concept of time is merely subjective. Where time optimists overestimate what they can accomplish within a certain amount of time, time benders create entirely different time rules for themselves. “Being 10 minutes late basically counts as on time,” Anderson uses as an example.
These are the curious, creative souls who thrive under pressure and easily lose track of time when they reach a flow state, or bounce from inspiring task to inspiring task.
To help curb time-bending tendencies, a good option could be the “Pomodoro Technique,” which has you working in focused, 25-minute bursts followed by short breaks to maintain high energy and concentration.
“Time blindness” might sound very close to “time optimism” and “time bending,” but the former is associated with an actual inability to perceive the passage of time. That’s why Anderson and Sultan explained that this category is frequently found in those with ADHD or executive function issues.
4. Time Blind
“It’s not that these folks don’t care about being late or making other people wait,” said Anderson. “Without external reminders or cues, it’s easy for them to lose track of how long things take, which makes sticking to a schedule more challenging.”
Sultan added, “Their brains actually have a difficult time registering and processing temporal information, causing impairments in working memory, executive functioning, and temporal discounting.”
Though time blindness might be more deeply ingrained than the other three personalities, there are several proven tools that can help—from simple, tried-and-true methods like visual/audio timers (think hourglasses and analog clocks) to apps designed to help strengthen time estimation. And of course, these tools aren’t exclusively beneficial to those with bona fide time blindness. Optimists and benders can try them out as well.
Once you better understand how you uniquely navigate time, you’re better able to (a) incorporate strategies that help you work within your limitations and (b) give yourself a little grace. Perhaps that last part is most important.
Europeans have always had hot takes on Americans and American culture. From portion sizes to garbage disposals to widely available air conditioning, there are plenty of things America has to offer that Europe just doesn’t.
And when it comes to demeanor, it’s hard for Europeans to deny that Americans have a warmer presence. A 2025 survey by Upgraded Points asked 2,200 Europeans from 22 different countries for their opinions on Americans. In it, 64% reported that they found Americans friendly.
On Reddit, an Eastern European who experienced American friendliness firsthand asked Americans why they are “nice and cordial.”
An Eastern European’s take on Americans
The Eastern European explained that they had been living in the United States for a few years, and shared what most interactions with Americans have been like.
“I’ve noticed that common courtesies are much more, well, common, here in the US,” they wrote. “Examples like small talk by cashiers, moving men, etc. Even most people make witty responses, like they’re actually listening to what I said. I’ve said a few times, ‘Oh, I’m just watching Netflix over the weekend.’ And they’ll mention or recommend shows they’ve watched.”
They went on to explain that it happens often and, seemingly, from a place of authenticity.
“They also always ask how I am, asking about my weekend plans, holding open the door for several people, and more,” they shared. “It just seems ingrained from an early age. And a lot of it seems genuine, very rarely forced.”
The post ended, “I’ve just found this so refreshing as someone who’s from a region in the world where people don’t even make eye contact with you. This is seriously an underrated part of American culture in my opinion.”
Americans respond
Americans shared their wholesome replies as to why they are genuinely nice and cordial:
“It’s fun to be nice to people, because it makes you feel happier inside.”
“I dunno. Just how I was raised. I find it difficult to not be nice to strangers cause like why do I want to cause trouble and make a scene? All it does is hinder my day and cause more issues. Takes more effort to be mean than to just.. Not be.”
“I read once that cultures with big melting pots of ethnicities (USA, Brazil) tend to be more outwardly friendly with smiles and body language as there were large portions of times when the country was largely immigrants that wouldn’t understand each others language so they’d smile at strangers because they couldn’t speak their language, and then that remained embedded in the culture. It was a convincing argument.”
“I mean… another way to look at it is, ‘why wouldn’t you be?’ An ex-girlfriend of mine once said, ‘if you can’t find the joy in the small things in life, you’ll never be happy with any other successes.’ So when you meet someone, ask about them, smile, gas them up, make them happy. Those endorphins are contagious.”
“Cordiality is how a nation of immigrants helps create social cohesion. Cordiality is a public practice of democracy. Cordiality is an implicit way of acknowledging equal standing under the law. We will see how long it lasts now.”
“Yeah, I think that equality is such an American value that we have it engrained to smile and be cordial to strangers as a way of affirming a lack of class boundaries. I’ve spent lots of time with people from caste/servant/enormous-poverty-divide countries lately and some details in lack of respect to strangers have been really astoundingly off-putting.”
“Because it costs nothing and makes people happy. I didn’t know why this is an American thing, but I particularly enjoy bullsh*t smalltalk and my German wife thinks I’m insane.”
There are many ways to pay tribute to a music artist through a cover of one of their songs. Some honor their inspiration by playing their hit song in a different genre of music. Others cover the song through different instrumentation or key changes. Then there’s the guy who performs his cover with rubber chickens.
The professional pianist known as Lord Vinheteiro has gotten attention on TikTok by performing Guns N’ Roses’ song “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Only, instead of the vocal stylings of Axl Rose, Vinheteiro sings the song through the squeaky voices of rubber chickens of varying sizes. And he nails it.
“If you close your eyes, it sounds just like Axl Rose.”
“This is what the internet was invented for.”
“I don’t care what y’all say… THIS IS TALENT.”
“Simply awesome, Maestro!”
“As a middle school science teacher would you mind if I showed this video to my students? We’re studying sound waves and this is a perfect example of frequency and pitch.”
“Needed this smile. Thank you.”
“Clucking brilliant.”
Who is this rubber chicken maestro?
Lord Vinheteiro, the professional name of Brazilian musician Fabrício André Bernard Di Paolo, has entertained the Internet since 2008. He gained attention through his expert piano skills—where he’s playing theme songs from cartoons or playing the piano at a distance with strings. All the while, Vinheteiro adds to the absurdity by looking directly into the camera with an expressionless face.
Prior to his career as a YouTube content creator and music teacher, Paolo worked in construction. His videos grew in popularity in his native Brazil before gaining traction worldwide. Until recently, he showcased his classical music prowess by playing video game themes and other pop-culture favorites. In 2025, he began expanding his musical talent by incorporating rubber chickens into his content.
While still showcasing his impressive piano skills, he frequently shows off his rubber chicken singing abilities using chickens of various sizes. Impressively, Paolo is able to hit the proper tone and pitch with expert grip and timing. This feat has earned him millions of views on rubber chicken versions of a wide variety of songs, from System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and even the “Imperial March” theme from Star Wars.
If you are amused and fascinated by Lord Vinheteiro’s work, check out his social media for more. It may be piano and rubber chickens for now, but it’ll be interesting to see which instrument he masters next.
