Heroes
An Interviewer Asks An Expert What We Can Do To Stay Safer. Her Answer Is Not What I Expected.
Shortly after this interview, Sandra Steingraber went to jail for her actions. Watch this clip, then share her moving words.
05.01.13
Sponsored
ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision
What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.
05.04.23
True
If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.
Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.
Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3
ACUVUEhas been encouraging people to take time off social media and use their newfound time to see their vision, whether that's becoming a makeup influencer, focusing on athletics or embracing their unique talents.
Upworthy caught up with influencer, YouTube star and contact lens wearer Amber Alexander to talk about how she balances her social media use. Recently, she took a social media break while visiting her sister.
“I was able to slow down time and take in each moment,” she told Upworthy. “Being on social media 24/7 always puts me in a very overwhelmed and anxious state of mind, so it was so refreshing to put my phone down and see life from a clearer perspective. Every moment felt more meaningful.”
“As soon as I put my phone away, I was able to really connect with my family and cherish our time together. I saw how my peace of mind improved when I took a break from social media,” she continued.
Alexander understands how social media can have a huge effect on her self-esteem and productivity.
“Scrolling through social media often leads people to compare their own lives, achievements, and physical appearance to people they see online,” she told Upworthy. “It is unrealistic and discouraging to see so many attractive, successful people online 24/7. Also, being on social media takes up so much time from our day that could be used socializing with real people, going outside, and working towards meaningful goals.”
ACUVUE is challenging young people to take social media breaks to pursue their purposes, visions, missions, and dreams through its Where Vision Meets Sight campaign. But the campaign from ACUVUE is about a lot more than just personal development. They’d like you to inspire others by sharing what you’ve done during your social media break by using #MyVisionMySight.
Get inspired and learn more on ACUVUE’s Where Vision Meets Sight page.
1COVID-19: Screen Time spikes to over 13 hours per day according to Eyesafe Nielsen estimates, published 3/28/20, https://eyesafe.com/covid-19-screen-time-spike-to-....
2Tsubota K, Nakamori K. Dry eyes and video display terminals. N Engl J Med. 1993;328(8):584. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199302253280817.
3Patel S, Henderson R, Bradley L, et al. Effect of visual display unit use on blink rate and tear stability. Optom Vis Sci 1991;68(11):888-892. doi: 10.1097/00006324-199111000-00010.
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Family
Mom who packs her child a meal when going out to restaurants has parents fired up
Does she have a good point?
05.26.23
Karlie Smith shows the meal she's bringing to the restaurant for her son.
A mom who admitted she packs her 2-year-old a meal when they go out to dinner has started an interesting debate on TikTok about restaurant etiquette and how it applies to young children.
The video posted by Ohio mom, Karlie Smith (unbreakablemomma on TikTok), has received nearly 600,000 views and has over 1,850 comments.
“Call me cheap, call me whatever, but if we’re going out to a restaurant, I’m packing my kid a meal," Smith, 21, said in her post. "I do this for many reasons. On Friday nights, my family and I get together, and tonight, we’re getting food out. My son is not getting food out.”
"For one, you want me to pay $6.99 for chicken tenders and fries that my son is going to throw half of it on the floor? You’re crazy," she continued. "Also, whatever I pack is probably going to be healthier than what the restaurant has anyways."
Smith’s example of a $6.99 kids’ meal is generous. In some parts of the country, a kids’ meal will set you back a lot more than that.
In the video, Smith demonstrated what she prepared for her son's meal that day: a sandwich filled with peanut butter and jelly, banana slices, cubed cheddar cheese and a chocolate-flavored Lara bar, all neatly organized in a plastic container.
Smith added that when they get to the restaurant, her child can begin to eat immediately without having to wait for a server to take their order and the kitchen to prepare the food.
"I can just hand him this and let him go to town,” she said. “Also, my child is not opinionated. He does not care what he eats; he just wants to eat."
The mother of two created quite a stir on TikTok after posting the video, with some people shaming her for bringing outside food into a restaurant. Many felt she wasn’t being fair by taking a seat without buying a meal, while others thought the restaurant was a good place for a child to learn patience. Others felt she wasn’t being fair by eating a restaurant-cooked meal while her child ate food from home.
"$6.99 is not a outrageous price. Eating out is definitely a experience a child deserves while everyone eats out," Suki commented.
"It is sooo important that they learn patience at that age. The same two-year-old who doesn’t learn that becomes a screaming five-year-old," Heth added.
"Someone once told me if u can't afford to let your kid get whatever meal they want at a restaurant, u shouldn’t be eating out," Kiana stated.
"You are paying for the seat at the table, not just the food. The price of the food to the restaurant is a tiny part of it," LiverpoolLilac wrote.
However, many people felt for Smith and thought she was doing the right thing for her child and finances.
"This is a great idea and I will be using it! Why would I buy a 2-year-old a meal they won’t eat? People need to stop harassing you," Katy Brown wrote.
"This is great cause restaurant food is rarely healthy for kids. Always chicken tenders and grilled cheese or corn dogs etc, and fries fries fries," Luna added.
"This is so smart, my kids always waste out food & always eat what I make so thanks for this tip!" Ceryna said.
After the video was bombarded with comments, Smith told Today.com that, as a former server, she always leaves a tip that compensates for the food brought from home and cleans up the table.
Smith put out a follow-up video where she had some fun with the negative comments she received on the video.
@unbreakablemomma Replying to @Kayla2022 the american girl doll is a paid actress
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Pop Culture
Man rewatches shows from his childhood and his recaps of the bonkers storylines are priceless
Rob Anderson's hilarious recaps of shows like "Mighty Ducks," "Beethoven," and "7th Heaven" might make you wonder how they got made in the first place.
05.26.23
@hearthrobert/TikTok
These plots makes zero sense.
While there are no doubt some timeless classics from our childhood that remain every bit as amazing as we remember, many are straight-up cringey upon a later viewing. Really, it’s to be expected as societal viewpoints change…sort of a marker of how far we’ve collectively come.
And so, what do we do with these problematic pieces of old-school pop culture? Well, we can certainly update them to better reflect a more modern attitude, but that also comes with a set of potential problems. Or we could simply never watch them again. Certainly an option given all the content out there. But then we might miss an opportunity to better understand what seemed to work for the mainstream then, and why it doesn’t work now.
And then there’s the third option—allow ourselves to be entertained by their cringiness.
That’s certainly the route taken by Rob Anderson. Over on TikTok, Anderson has taken ultra-popular movies and television shows from his childhood and given them hilarious recaps capturing how absurd some of the storylines are.Take, for example, "Beethoven." Remember, the cute story about a family who adopts a stray Saint Bernard?
Yeah, as Anderson will kindly remind you, this movie is actually “so messed up.”
@heartthrobert I did NOT rememeber the plot of the movie Beethoven. #90s#90skids#90skid#90sthrowback#90smovies♬ original sound - Rob Anderson
Not only is the family the “worst owners ever” by never bothering to train Beethoven so he won't hop onto tables (dumb, but okay), but the dad actually convinces his wife to stop being a stay-at-home mom and start working for him (wait, what?) and, get this, the antagonist is a veterinarian who is secretly hired to test out bullets by shooting dogs in the head (WHOA WHOA WHOA).
How about “The Princess Diaries,” the movie that introduced us to Anne Hathaway and rightfully had Julie Andrews playing a queen?
After watching Anderson’s video, you’ll agree that this popular flick actually “makes no sense.”
First off, a single mom, who’s a mediocre artist at best, lives with her daughter in a beautiful three-story house in San Francisco. Okay, yes, not feasible, even in the 90s. But Hollywood often does that. Big whoop.
It gets weirder though, as Anderson notes that in this story, the fictional country of Genovia will somehow cease to exist without Hathaway taking the throne. Not to mention her character is bullied post-makeover for “being hotter,” gets in trouble with the principal for being royalty and somehow “doesn’t know what fire is.”
@heartthrobert The Princess Diaries makes no sense
♬ original sound - Rob Anderson
The biggest grievance might be towards the end, when people from all over the world gather to celebrate the Genovia Independence Ball at the San Francisco consulate.
“It’s like the U.S. Inauguration happening at our Embassy in Dublin,” Anderson jokes.
Anderson actually has an entire series dedicated to the faith-based family drama “7th Heaven.” Because, let’s face it, there’s just so much to talk about, from “taking in a homeless girl as a pet,” to flipping the bird being treated like the most catastrophic thing imaginable. Yes, these were actual storylines we have all tucked deep in the recesses of our subconscious.
Here are a few for your viewing pleasure.
@heartthrobert Replying to @Wayne Holmes The cringiest 7th Heaven episode yet. #7thHeaven#90s#90sthrowback#90skids#90skid#90stv♬ original sound - Rob Anderson
@heartthrobert Replying to @lawyerpaige #7thheaven#90skids#90s#90sthrowback♬ original sound - Rob Anderson
@heartthrobert My breakfown of the most iconic ep of #7thHeaven#90s#90skids♬ original sound - Rob Anderson
Anderson’s recaps hold no punches, but at the same time are a completely lighthearted way of pointing out how ridiculous certain things from our childhood are. Sometimes, instead of getting miffed at that which is problematic, we can simply give ourselves a good laugh.
Care to see even more recaps of unhinged 90s movies? Follow Anderson on TikTok.
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Joy
18-year-old took her college savings and bought the restaurant where she was a dishwasher
Samantha Frye, the newest owner of Rosalie's restaurant, is proving there's more than one way to invest in your future.
05.22.23
Canva
There are many way to invest in your future
Eighteen year old Samantha Frye has traded college life for entrepreneurship, and she has no regrets.
Frye began working at Rosalie's Restaurant in Strasburg, Ohio at 16 as a dishwasher, working up the ranks as a kitchen prep, server, then line cook. All while working a second job, sometimes third job.
After graduating high school, Frye started college at Ohio State with plans of studying business or environmental engineering. But when she came back to work a shift at Rosalie’s for winter break, an opportunity arose—the owners had planned to sell the restaurant."I was thinking that maybe [buying] was something I wanted to do," she told News 5 Cleveland. "I had savings because I was saving for college, so I had quite a bit of money saved away. And I was like, I could possibly do this."
Frye acted on that gut feeling, and used her college funds to buy Rosalie’s. Now she spends every day at her new business, either in the kitchen, on the floor or in the office meeting with sales reps.
This Ohio diner is under new ownership: an 18-year-old who started out as a dishwasher and is carrying on a legacy of the past. https://t.co/7VShD0O6n0
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) May 13, 2023
Though Fyre's mother, Brandi Beitzel, confessed to USA Today that she wasn’t initially “on board” with her daughter abandoning college plans, over time she became very “proud” of her for forging her own path, and applauded her “drive and ambition.”
That sentiment is echoed both by Rosalie’s regulars and staff, who are amazing at the young woman’s drive and confidence.
“I just really think she's a great example of a young lady that is following her dreams and doing what she loves,” said Leanna Gardner, an employee.
It’s no secret that there are significantly less students attending college—down by about a million since the start of the pandemic. And while there are no doubt potential long term collective consequences to that, with exorbitantly high student loan rates, it’s easy to see why young adults would avoid massive debt for careers that don’t require a college degree.
Luckily, there are more efforts to make college an affordable option being made nationwide, like offering a free two years worth of college to graduating students.
And as Frye is proving by example—not going to college is certainly not a death sentence for one’s future. There are many ways to plant seeds for success. Honestly, college or no college, no matter which path is taken, there will likely be more uncertainty than there are guarantees. Perhaps the best bet then is trust those pings of intuition.
"You don't need college to make a decent living, and I think that's what a lot of people think nowadays," Frye attests. "Follow your instinct, honestly. If it feels right, just do it."
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Joy
Woman decides that she is the love of her life and marries herself at her retirement home
“I said, you know what, I’ve done everything else. Why not?”
05.26.23
77-year-old woman decides she's the love of her life and marries herself.
We joke about marrying ourselves or a platonic friend if some arbitrary amount of time has passed without a proposal from an imaginary suitor. And sure, some people do wind up marrying a friend in more of a business arrangement, but it's not very common that someone follows through with marrying themselves.
Dorothy "Dottie" Fideli, decided that she was going to break the mold. The 77-year-old sat down and thought about all of the things she had done in life and who was with her the entire time cheering her on. It was an easy answer: herself. She was her biggest cheerleader, the person who always showed up and the love of her life, so Fideli made the plan to marry herself.
On a beautiful May day, friends and family gathered in the O’Bannon Terrace Retirement Community, where Fideli is a resident, to witness the ceremony.
"I have been with myself for 40 years. Something just came over me one day in church that, 'you want to do something special for yourself,'" Fideli told KCEN.
It was Fideli's daughter, Donna Pennington, that helped her pull together the emotional ceremony, complete with a wedding dress and an officiant. The grandmother spent most of her life raising her three children and helping to care for her grandchildren, and she felt like it was time to do something for herself.
This isn't Fideli's first marriage. She was actually married once before in 1965, but she didn't get to have a wedding. Fideli and her ex-husband were married in a courthouse ceremony where she wore a black dress and were divorced nine years later. Something tells me that this marriage is going to last a lifetime though.
You can catch a glimpse of her wedding below:
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Joy
12-year-old Texas girl saves her family from carbon monoxide poisoning
She knew something was wrong with her mom and brother, which wound up saving her whole family.
05.26.23
Fort Worth 12-year-old helps save family from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is called a silent killer for a reason. Many people don't realize they're experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning before it's too late. The gas is colorless and odorless and tends to have a sedating effect that causes people to sleep through the fatal poisoning. Having carbon monoxide detectors is one of the most effective ways to identify the gas before it's too late to get out of the house, but not every home has one.
A little girl in Fort Worth, Texas, experienced a terrifying encounter with the deadly gas, but her quick actions saved her entire family. Jaziyah Parker is being held up as a hero after she realized something was wrong with her family members and called for help.
The girl called 911 after she noticed her mom pass out. On the call with the dispatcher, Jaziyah says she thinks her mother has died before explaining that there was something now wrong with her baby brother, who was just 5-months-old.
"At first, they were acting normal and when I came back to my room, they started screaming and throwing up and stuff and they started to pass out," Jaziyah told ABC News.
Someone had accidentally left the car running in the garage which caused carbon monoxide to fill the home. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the gas causes around 430 deaths a year and at least 50,000 people end up in the emergency room every year due to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
"I saw her sister on the stairwell had collapsed and vomited. I saw her brother upstairs and he had vomited, and I knew that they only had minutes," firefighter Robby Leon-Guerreo explained to WFAA 8.
Leon-Guerreo was the first firefighter on the scene, and shortly after he arrived, Jaziyah passed out. Had it not been for her quick thinking and insistence that someone needed to come right away, the situation would've turned out much differently. The Fort Worth fire department is encouraging families to have not only smoke detectors but at least one carbon monoxide detector in their home. You can even purchase one to bring on vacation with you in case your rental doesn't have a functioning one.
Thankfully, the entire family has fully recovered from their exposure to the gas and are grateful to have survived. On May 23, Jaziyah was presented with a plaque for her bravery by Fort Worth city leaders and the firefighters.
Listen to the harrowing 911 call below:
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Pop Culture
In a touching, unscripted moment, Drew Barrymore rushes to comfort a crying audience member
"Are you okay?"
05.26.23
Drew Barrymore speaks during the FLOWER Beauty launch at Westfield Parramatta on April 13, 2019, in Sydney, Australia.
Drew Barrymore, 48, has been in the public consciousness since she starred as Gertie in 1982’s mega-blockbuster, “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” a performance that earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. So, it makes sense that many people of a certain age feel as if they’ve grown up with her.
Barrymore has consistently starred in hit films and movies that are rewatchable cable-TV staples, such as “Charlie's Angels” (2000), “Never Been Kissed” (1999), “Scream” (1996), “The Wedding Singer” (1998), “50 First Dates” (2004) and “Fever Pitch” (2005).
Now, she’s an even more significant part of people’s lives as the host of “The Drew Barrymore Show,” which runs every weekday on CBS. So far, the show has been a big success, attracting an average of 1.21 million views per show, and ranks as the #4 talk show in syndication. It was recently renewed through the 2024 season.
On May 25, the show’s Instagram page posted a touching video of an off-the-cuff moment between Barrymore and a fan during a taping of her show. In the clip, Barrymore realizes that someone in the audience is crying. So, instead of ignoring the fan, she jumps to action to see what is the matter.
“Are you OK? Did anything happen? Whose a** do I have to kick?” she said while approaching the audience member. The crying fan’s friend clarified things for Barrymore, saying she loves her. “Oh, thank God, it’s nothing bad,” Barrymore exclaimed.
“I was like, ‘Tell me who they are, and I will take them down.’ Who made you cry?” she joked.
“You’re just, like, my childhood idol. I don’t want to be that person to cry,” the woman, who goes by the name Olivia, admitted. Then Barrymore assured her that emotional outbursts are acceptable and encouraged in her studio.
“Oh, screw that! Be that person!” Barrymore said.
"I really love you. I'm sorry," the fan said as she was handed a tissue. The talk show host then sat on Olivia’s lap and comforted her. “I have the urge to do this," Barrymore said as she held her.
“This is such an honor for me, to meet you. I’m sorry I have dumpling breath,” Barrymore told Olivia. “It’s so funny that you would say you don’t want to cry here,” she continued. “I cry here all the time.”
Olivia appeared in the comment section on the show’s Instagram page and received a ton of support for her outburst. Upworthy reached out to Olivia, but she had no further comments.
“So amazing! I’m sure you and Drew will forever remember this special moment,” Willvillanueva71 wrote. "Honestly, the tears were super valid. Drew is a walking angel," Suuuuyung added.
“I was crying almost the entire time. She is my idol & very grateful I got the chance to speak with her!” Olivia commented.
The tender exchange between Barrymore and Olivia shows that the talk show host is just as sweet and caring off-camera as she is when she does her show. They always say you should never meet your heroes, but it’s probably a good idea if yours is Drew Barrymore.
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