Once In A While, Somebody Comes Along And Captures Images That Change A Nation
Some of the most disturbing images that were captured in the early part of the 1900s were those of kids working in factories, coal mines, and other places where no kids belonged. The most famous photographer was Lewis Hine; his pictures brought these children into the spotlight in a way the nation could no longer ignore.
Little spinner in Globe Cotton Mill, Augusta, Georgia, 1909
All throughout the 1800s, children worked in almost every country, sometimes in the worst possible conditions for the lowest pay. It was a problem in the United States certainly; as early as 1834, the National Trades Union in New York called for the ban of the practice. (1)
Child laborers, midnight at the Glassworks, Indiana, 1908
I’m just speculating, but I’m pretty sure I’m right that some of the same kinds of arguments we hear today about minimum wage were used back then:
- “These jobs are just to teach them how to work!”
- “They’re lucky they have an income at all!”
- “These are great jobs for people with no skills!”
- “They’re just flipping rocks, washing the walls, and sorting coal!”
Little Lottie, a regular oyster shucker in Alabama Canning Co., Bayou La Batre, Alabama, 1911
Kids sometimes as young as 6 years old worked 11 or 12 hours a day, six days a week, for a dollar or two per week. There were frequent beatings. Accidents and deaths were extremely common, and kids were usually considered more expendable than adults. (2)
As awareness grew about this problem, more labor unions passed resolutions that were intended to influence the national conversation about this issue, including the American Federation of Labor, formed in 1881. As more people discovered some of the horrible conditions kids worked in, the issue ebbed and flowed in political, social, and community conversations.
A regular worker (doffer) in Richmond Spinning Mills. Photo during working hours. Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1910
According to the 1900 U.S. Census, there were almost 2 million children working in this country — about 1 in 6 kids. In 1904, the National Child Labor Committee was formed, and it aggressively fought for child labor law reform. It hired Lewis Hine in 1908 to photograph kids working in various industries; 10 years and thousands of photographs later, the mission was accomplished. It was perhaps one of the best uses of photography, a relatively new medium, to change minds and hearts. (3)
It took until 1938 for this to be put largely behind us, at least in the United Sates. This was achieved under the administration of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with support from the NCLC. This became the Fair Labor Standards Act, which is still the primary tool used to fight child labor in the United States. (4)
Laura Petty, a 6-year-old berry picker on Jenkins farm, Rock Creek, Maryland, 1909
However, even with that in place, there were exceptions made in those laws that allow children to work in agriculture. This continues today.
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."