by Julia Robins ’20

I remember turning on the television on August 4th and seeing the news of the Dayton and El Paso shootings. I wish sincerely that when I turn on the television, I would see good news rather than stressful and depressing stories of war, terrorism, politics, pollution, drugs, and inequality. According to the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, television newscasts increases depression by 38-percent, and according to the Preventive Medicine Journal, those who read/watch the news more than 4 hours a week are 61-percent more likely to experience anxiety. Combating those statistics, below is a collection of recent good news to make you laugh or smile.

 

“LEGO is Now Offering to Pay For You to Ship Your Unused Bricks to Children in Need”

According to Good News Network, early this October, Lego has created a program called Lego Replay where customers can ship back lego products (for free) that they are no longer using. In association with the Give Back Box, the legos will be cleaned and donated to less fortunate children and schools. Besides encouraging recycling and reducing their environmental impact, more children around the world will have toys to play with. If you have legos that you are not using go to givebackbox.com/lego.

 

“Her Own Toy Story: How A 6-Year-Old Girl’s Letter Launched ‘Plastic Army Women”

Even six-year-olds can work to achieve gender equality. Do you ever remember playing with BMC Toy’s little Plastic Army Men as a kid? Those green plastic toys started being made in the 1930s, but have only been men until now. NPR reports that Vivian, a six year old from Arkansas, wrote to the company asking for women figurines- and now in December 2020 the company will come out with female versions of the iconic toy.

 

“The United States of America is the World’s Most Generous Country”

The Charities Aid Foundation announced in their 2019 World Giving Index on October 26 that the United States ranks as the most generous country. The Second place was Burma and third place was New Zealand. After studying 1.8 million people, it was determined that 72-percent  of Americans have gone out of their way to help a stranger, 61-percent of Americans have donated to charity, and 42-percent have done volunteer work. 

 

“14 People Created a Human Chain to Lead Trapped Dolphins Out of Florida Canal”

On September 19, four dolphins were trapped in a canal near St. Petersburg. According to Travel & Leisure, fourteen bystanders jumped into the water and created a human chain to lead them to safety. 45 minutes later, the family with two dolphin calves swam happily away.

 

“More Schools Are Being Gifted Free Washing Machines From Whirlpool So Kids Don’t Skip School”

1 in 5 students nationwide don’t have access to clean clothes, and those students are seven times more likely to drop out of school. But thanks to Whirlpool, Good News Network can report that as of October 8, 38,000 low-income students in 82 schools around the country have been able to wash their clothes at school, and over two-thirds of them saw a substantial increase in their grades during the 2018-2019 school year.

 

“Elusive Vietnamese Mouse-deer Spotted for First Time in 30 Years”

The power and hope that nature can bring continues to inspire. Easily categorized as one of the cutest animals in the world, the mouse-deer (formally known as the Chevrotain) has finally been spotted in the wild for the first time in 30 years. The Chevrotain is a deer with mouse-like features the size of a rabbit, and has been feared extinct since 1990.

 

“You Can Now get Directions From the Cookie Monster Thanks to Navigational App’s New Voice Option”

Road rage is the number one cause of car accidents in the United States. A major cause of anxiety and anger when driving is the frustration of getting GPS directions- but imagine getting those directions from Cookie Monster! Good News Network reports that since November 2nd (Cookie Monster’s birthday) you can choose him as your Waze voice, which perhaps could help keep people’s laughter high and their rage low in stressful situations.

 

“House Unanimously Approves Bill to Make Animal Cruelty a Federal Offense”

For the first time, the Federal Government has acknowledged the seriousness of animal abuse in landmark bill that could change the lives of millions of innocent animals. The New York Times reported that on October 23, the House of Representatives passed the “Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act” which would make the punishment of animal cruelty be seven years in jail.

 

“This Masked Man Hands Out $100 Bills to Strangers”

Calling himself “Dr. MooMoo,” David McGee puts on a suit, a neon pink mask, and holds up a “smile!” sign. He gives out free $100 bills to random people on the street who are misfortuned or homeless. Originally in Kansas City, Inside Edition reported on October 18 that he’s taken his random acts of kindness to the streets of New York City.