Episode Description: Two coral fragments fell over in a Stanford lab tank and happened to touch, and within days the bleached one started absorbing healthy algae directly through the contact point with its neighbor. The researchers hadn’t designed that experiment, which is part of what makes the discovery so striking: a potential recovery mechanism for bleached coral hiding in plain sight, requiring nothing more than the right genetic match and direct physical contact. Arielle and Karissa cover ten solutions this week, including a brain therapy reporting 68 percent remission for PTSD when decades of medication have only reached 11, a wildlife sanctuary in Austin that runs on Twitch donations and reaches the conservation audience that broadcast nature documentaries never could, and the solar panels now legal for California renters that require no contractor, no roof, and no tens of thousands of dollars upfront. If you have questions, comments, feedback, suggestions, or just want to say hi, send a message to: podcast@optimistdaily.com. Want to be part of the Optimism Movement? Become an Emissary. Subscribe to our FREE Daily/Weekly Newsletter and follow us on Instagram, X, and Blue Sky. The Optimist Daily is a project of the World Business Academy. Donate link: https://www.optimistdaily.com/donate-to-support-the-optimist-daily/?lsc=41ef528d Theme and all original music by Marvin Lanes Transcript: Intro Arielle:  Hello, it’s Arielle.  Karissa:  And I’m Karissa.  Arielle:  And welcome back to The Optimist Daily’s weekly roundup. How are you, Karissa?  Karissa:  Um, feeling pretty tired. Trying to adjust to the time change here, so.  Arielle:  Oh, yeah. You guys had your time change in the States this past weekend, right?  Karissa:  Mm-hmm. Yeah, and I know you had it the weekend before. But yeah, this week has been, been all about adjustment.  Arielle:  It’s a bit of a transition period. I feel like a lot of my friends are going through transitions right now, and it kind of aligns with the seasons. And also Thanksgiving is coming up. Well, I mean, Canadian Thanksgiving already happened in October, and that’s what I grew up with. But you guys have your Thanksgiving soon.  And, uh, to celebrate, we’re doing our local changemaker series like we do every year.  Karissa:  Yeah, it’s always one of our favorite times of year, too, to give back to The Optimist Daily community and report on the changemakers that are making a difference in your lives and your communities. Speaking of gratitude, we’re very grateful for all of you Optimists who keep The Optimist Daily going in our shared resolve to get positive news out there. And we also wanna thank our Emissaries, who are the financial supporters of The Optimist Daily.  Arielle:  We have big love for our Emissaries. They help us keep the lights on here. But there are a lot of free ways that you can help support this mission as well, ’cause we know that not everybody has the budget to donate, and that’s completely fine. But if you wanted to help our cause in other ways, you can follow us on socials. We are @optimistdaily on everything except for X. There we are @OdeToOptimism. And along with that, you can share our content on your own personal stories or send them directly to friends and family who you think need a little bit more positivity in their lives. All of that helps us out a lot.  Karissa:  You can also email us at podcast@optimistdaily.com, or reach out to us on any of the platforms we’re on. Arielle:  All right. Well, with all of that said and done, I think I’m going to jump into this week’s solutions.  Sardinian restaurants banning phones Arielle:  The first one is titled “Sardinian restaurants are banning phones for families at meals”. So in Sardinia, 15 restaurants are asking families to put their phones away when they sit down to eat. In exchange, staff hand them a box of games designed by pediatricians to help parents and kids actually talk to each other. Do you find yourself either seeing people out at a restaurant who aren’t actually engaging with each other ’cause they’re on their phones, or do you find yourself doing that as well, Karissa?  Karissa:  I mean, I definitely see people doing it, and I try my hardest not to do it. Usually when I’m out at dinner it’s with someone maybe I haven’t seen in a while, so we have lots to talk about, so really try not to. But I, I mean, I can be guilty sometimes if I’m just out at dinner, um, with maybe my family or my boyfriend because, you know, we’re talking all the time, so I’m like, “Well, let me just pull it out for a second while we’re waiting.”  Arielle:  Yeah, I try my best to just keep my phone, um, where I can’t see it when I’m with other people. Yeah. But I… If I’m eating by myself then I will-  Karissa: Mm.  Arielle:  … um, distract myself with my phone, you know? What I like about this screen time story is that it’s a little bit different from the typical one that you see. It’s not, like, just a lecture or, or, like, a rule. There’s actually a- Yeah … kit. It’s a pediatrician-designed game box that the restaurant itself will hand you so that you have something in your hands other than a phone. So that to me is, like, a structural solution and not so much of a moral one. Or it is, but, like, there’s more structure to it.  Karissa:  Yeah.  Arielle:  Anna Cau, she’s the Children’s Ombudsman, which is an independent official appointed to receive, investigate, and help resolve complaints made by individuals against government agencies, public authorities, or private organizations, if you didn’t know. That I got from Wikipedia. But she’s the woman who designed the scheme, and she makes this point: Most screen time debates put the whole problem on parents, and she’s saying the spaces families move through, like restaurants and anywhere in public life, they should also be part of the solution.  Karissa:  Yeah. Arielle:  And this is based in Sardinia, uh, which is in Italy. And there, the communal meal carries a lot of cultural weight. Yeah. I mean, it carries weight everywhere because eating is such a social human practice. But in Italy especially, if the-  Karissa:  Yeah …  Arielle:  dinner table is losing to screens over there, then that’s a, a real signal. So yeah, I just really enjoyed reading about this solution, and maybe it will inspire other people who are listening to have their own kind of phone-free dinners. And, uh, you know, I’m sure you can look up engaging questions online or create your own questions to ask your family members as well. You don’t need to have this, uh, specific game box or pediatrician-designed kit.  California balcony solar for renters Arielle:  The next solution is titled “California legalizes balcony solar for renters and beyond”. We’ve been hearing a lot about solar energy and apartment dwellers being able to participate in that, but this is quite local to you, Karissa, ’cause California just legalized plug-in solar panels, and for the first time, that includes renters. Panels that cost a few hundred dollars that you hang off your balcony or stick outside a window that could cut your electricity bill by up to $500 a year are now legal. So there’s no contractor, no roof, no tens of thousands of dollars upfront for Californians who live in apartments. California is the 10th state to pass this kind of law. It’s the biggest electricity market in the country, so when California moves, then manufacturers basically have to follow. The goal advocates keep describing is plug-in solar on a shelf at a hardware store like any other appliance, and that’s finally a realistic near-term thing.  First green star discovered Arielle:  The next solution is a pretty fun one. It’s titled “Astronomers discovered first green star ever, and it’s powered by a dead planet’s chemistry”. Astronomers just found the first green star ever documented, a white dwarf that glows chartreuse, not because of temperature, but because it absorbed sodium from a planetary system it destroyed. A star that ate its planets and turned green. It’s like a sci-fi. I was just- Yeah … fascinated by this whole solution. We’ve always assumed star colors track with temperature, like iron heating in a blacksmith’s forge, if you can imagine, like, it goes from red to white hot, and this star kind of broke that model. Its color is a chemical record of what it’s consumed. Carbon-rich atmospheres glow pink or purple. Stars that absorbed asteroid or planetary material go yellow. But then this one went green. There’s a lot more on the science within the article itself. Uh, but yeah, I just found the whole thing quite interesting. I just think it’s really cool to think about all of this unexpected, completely surprising stuff happening in this universe. Great Koala National Park Arielle:  Okay, moving on to the next solution, which is titled, “How carbon credits helped unlock the Great Koala National Park in New South Wales, Australia.” After more than a decade of campaigning, three state elections, and 14 hours of parliamentary debate, Australia’s Great Koala National Park is officially real. It’s 478,000 hectares of protected habitat, which is roughly 1.2 million acres, and the thing that finally made it financially viable was carbon credits. The part about carbon credits is what makes the economics work. The government registered over 117,000 hectares of the park state forests with the Federal Clean Energy Regulator. By ending native forest logging there, they can now sell carbon credits from the land. Protected forest generates more revenue than logged timber, it turns out, and that’s the financial argument that helped get this through. The article goes into the human cost. It didn’t wanna glaze over that detail. The forestry corporation already cut 30-plus jobs in Coffs Harbour before the park was even finalized, and then there’s also timber suppliers and trucking companies, engineering firms, all of these places of employment that have to let a lot of people go. So the government- Yeah … is committed to moving displaced workers into national parks roles, but that transition is still underway, and I’m sure it will go through some growing pains. Ashley Love, the conservationist who started this campaign after locals told him koalas weren’t as common as they used to be, called the result, “Quite fragmented with connectivity gaps still to close.” But he’s already pushing for the sections that didn’t make it into the park. And yeah, after a decade, he sounds less frustrated than just persistent, because this is still such an accomplishment.  Karissa:  Conservation campaigns that connect land protection to economic logic are always gonna be more viable. I think it’s a good model to follow, and, um, just a, a win for the koalas. Arielle:  Mm-hmm. It’s a win for the koalas, and a win for Australia’s broader biodiversity as a whole.  Coral healing through touch Arielle:  The last solution that I’m going to share with everyone before I hand over the reins to Karissa is “Stanford scientists discovered bleached coral can heal through touch”. Two coral fragments accidentally fell over and touched each other in a Stanford lab tank. Within days, the fragment that was bleached started recovering, absorbing healthy algae directly through the point of contact with the healthy coral fragment. The researchers were blown away because this was not supposed to happen. It was not really their experiment at all. What makes it scientifically interesting is how specific the conditions have to be for this to happen. It only works with direct physical contact and only between genetically identical corals. If you separate them by a few millimeters, then nothing will happen. If you introduce a different genetic background, then they reject each other, much like a mismatched organ transplant. Genetic twins in contact create what the team calls a tissue bridge, which is a nutrient highway between them The IUCN announced that about 96% of the world’s shallow water reef systems are critically endangered and could disappear by 2075. Coral reefs support between a quarter and a third of all marine species, so this discovery is a glimmer of hope in a very dark picture.  Maya Higa’s wildlife sanctuary on Twitch Karissa:  Okay, so this is one of our local Change Makers series articles, and it’s about Maya Higa, who built a wildlife sanctuary on Twitch funded by the people who watch it. Earlier this year, Maya was on a trip to Dominica and was offered the chance to swim with sperm whales, and she said no. Her followers couldn’t be there, and that one decision pretty much captures what she built Alveus Sanctuary to do and explains how a Twitch stream became a $7.5 million conservation platform. Alveus is both a physical wildlife sanctuary in Austin and a virtual conservation classroom. Animal ambassadors, animals that can’t survive in the wild, live at the sanctuary, while a 24/7 live stream lets viewers watch, learn, and get to know individual animals by name. And Maya’s background isn’t just as a creator. She’s a former zookeeper with a falconry license and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. So all that knowledge is what this stream runs on. The demographic she’s reaching is one that traditional conservation has struggled to reach for decades. She’s reaching 18 to 30-year-olds through social media in ways that broadcast nature documentaries never could. Arielle:  Yeah, it’s such a smart move. You know, a lot of the time the depiction of the younger generation is that their attention spans are really, um, short, which in some ways is true, but there’s also a lot of young people who just love to watch streams, and those are like- Yeah … long-form, like the longest form content there is. So yeah, really big shout-out to Maya. This is an incredible project. And yeah, I, I think I’m gonna start watching … the animals as well.  Karissa: I love this whole idea, and of course they’re targeting the younger viewers, but I think it kind of reaches across the ages as well. Um, my mind goes to in California, Jackie and Shadow, the bald eagles that- Yeah lived in Big Bear Lake, I think captured the hearts of many. So once again, congrats to Maya, and check out the article for more details.  Solar kits for disaster relief Karissa:  The next solution is “Solar kits are changing what disaster relief looks like”. Every morning in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, Mohammed Saber climbs to the roof of his family’s bamboo and tarpaulin shelter and puts out a solar panel. He’s done it for six years since his family fled the Rohingya crackdown in Myanmar. That one panel is how his whole family charges phones, cooks with light, and keeps fans running through the heat. And this story is about what this technology is actually for. The range of where this is happening right now is pretty striking. Doctors Without Borders is running a tuberculosis clinic on solar in Karachi, and UN water filtration on solar in South Sudan. And kits were distributed after Nepal’s floods that killed over 1,400 people. And a nonprofit in Ukraine has given kits to thousands of families, including 75 and 80-year-old grandparents who just plug them in. The CEO said, “It’s just a matter of plug and play for these solar relief kits.” And I mean, that goes back to our earlier solution of the plug-in balcony solar panels. But switching from diesel to solar is harder than it sounds for aid organizations because long-running generator contracts are still going on. There’s new distribution chains that have to be navigated in genuinely dangerous conditions. In addition, recent donor funding cuts have made it harder to transition to new technology. So one program leader said flat out, “Much of the technical expertise in the humanitarian sector on energy has been cut.” Arielle:  Yeah, it’s interesting. Whenever I think about solar panels, I think about the types of solutions that we’ve been hearing about so far, like the rooftop solar in Australia for apartments or the plug-in solar or solar panels above farm fields. But I don’t really think about it in this context where it could be so, so useful for disaster relief or- Yeah for places that don’t have access to a reliable grid. Uh, so I think it’s really encouraging that this technology is reaching all corners of the world for all types of contexts and situations.  Household uses for toothpaste Karissa:  The next story is a lifestyle solution, and it’s “Eight surprising household uses for toothpaste from a pro cleaner”. So there’s probably a tube of toothpaste in your bathroom right now, and if it’s only going on your teeth, you’re leaving a surprisingly useful cleaning tool just sitting in the drawer. A professional cleaner shared the eight household jobs she regularly uses it for, and some of them are actually not that obvious. Plain, white, non-gel toothpaste has mild abrasive particles that work like an ultra-fine sandpaper, and that’s why it can buff out light scratches on glass, phone screens, and wood surfaces, and polish metal fixtures, so lots of different uses. Gel toothpaste doesn’t have those particles, so it doesn’t work the same way, and that’s just something to keep in mind when you reach for that toothpaste. One use I was surprised to read is using toothpaste for a fogged car headlight, and it’s one that a lot of people haven’t heard, and it’s really simple. You just rub toothpaste over the lens in small circles for about a minute or two, rinse, dry, and repeat if needed. So no specialty product is required to clear up those fogged headlights. There’s just kind of this huge appetite right now, especially with the economy and the whole idea of sustainability as well, to, you know, use things you already own and get creative with them. It’s practical, it’s low cost, and it’s also satisfying as well.  Brain therapy for PTSD Karissa:  Moving on to the next solution, “Personalized brain therapy hits 68% remission for PTSD”. The best FDA-approved medications for PTSD have a remission rate of about 11%. But a newly FDA-cleared brain therapy just reported a 68% remission, and that’s not a typo. That is a big difference. It’s the first non-drug treatment specifically cleared for PTSD since the diagnosis was formally recognized in 1980. How this therapy works is that you get an EEG that maps your specific brain electrical activity, and an AI algorithm builds a personalized stimulation plan from that data. Then a coil placed against your scalp delivers targeted magnetic pulses, and you do this for five sessions a week for five to six weeks. The lead researcher described standard brain stimulation as covering the leak with a tarp, and this treatment tries to find and replace the damaged shingles. This is important for many different populations because about 6% of Americans will experience PTSD in their lifetime with higher rates among women and veterans. Approximately 17.5 veterans die by suicide each day in the US. The two SSRIs approved for PTSD have been the only FDA-approved options since 1980, and 11% remission means the vast majority haven’t gotten there on medications alone. So this is a really great breakthrough, and of course, accessibility is going to be the next hurdle. Um, you know, teams are actively trying to work on getting this covered by insurance, and FDA clearance is not the same as accessibility, so this gap is the next fight  Volunteering this Thanksgiving Karissa:  The final solution I have to share is “The best places to volunteer this Thanksgiving, 17 options for every schedule”. Every year around Thanksgiving, a lot of people have the same thought, “This is the year I actually do something.” And then they show up at a food bank and find out every other person in town had the same idea. There’s actually a smarter way to do this, and several options that don’t even require leaving your couch at all. So I think the most important point out of this article, even though it gives tips to volunteer and help around, is that holiday demand often creates more volunteers than organizations can actually use on Thanksgiving Day itself. And a lot of that is directed at food banks. So if you want your time to count, definitely call ahead and see if you’re needed. And if you get redirected because a location is at capacity, ask when they need people the most. The answer is almost always in February, when the holiday energy has faded out, but the need hasn’t. And I think that’s just a really good point. These organizations need your help year-round, and that’s important to keep in mind. So this list covers every kind of situation, whether it’s Feeding America, Meals on Wheels, and Operation Turkey, and about the tightly organized shifts they have. But it also covers options that are remote, like writing letters to deployed service members through Support Our Troops, and animal shelters for people who are better with dogs than crowds. So lots of ways to volunteer this giving, thankful, grateful season. So yeah, I think it’s just a great reminder, and hard to believe that Thanksgiving is already around the corner.  Arielle:  Yeah, I totally agree. I, I didn’t really think too much about the oversaturation in the volunteering space for the holiday season. It does make sense, though. So, you know, I, I think if you’re interested in volunteering and just haven’t gotten around to it yet, then maybe the holiday season is a great place to start. But then it could be your gateway into doing it-  Karissa:  Yeah …  Arielle:  more regularly as well.  Outro & quote Karissa:  Well, that’s all of the positive news we had to share this week on The Optimist Daily. But before we go, we’ll leave you off with a quote. ” Arielle:  Having a good time together is the essence of lovingness and the best means of increasing it.” That’s from Benjamin Spock, and I think that’s a great quote to go with quite a few of our stories today. Karissa:  Yeah, exactly. That’s why I wanted to include it in today’s, uh, roundup. Arielle:  We will be back next week with more solutions. In the meantime, Karissa and I wish all of you Optimists and Emissaries a wonderful weekend.  Karissa:  Yeah. Bye, everyone.  Arielle:  Bye.The post Podcast Transcript November 6th, 2026— 2 coral fragments touched in a Stanford lab: a story of healing (plus 9 more solutions) first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

In early 1969, after the mega success of two albums that topped the Billboard 200 for four months, Paul Simon began writing “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The gospel-inspired tune drew from two major influences. One was Sonny Til and the Orioles’ recording of “Crying in the Chapel,” which Simon had heard as a teenager. The other was a more recent album by The Swan Silvertones. Captivated by the emotional power and otherworldly quality of gospel music, Simon set out to bring that same feeling into his newest work.  A song divinely inspired  In one particular Swan Silvertones’ track, “Oh Mary Don’t You Weep,” Simon was struck by the lyrics, “I’ll be a bridge over deep water, if you trust in my name.” Within two hours, he had a fifteen-note melody and two verses based on these lyrics. He knew, without a doubt, that something special was being born.  “I thought, ‘This is better than I usually write.’ It just seemed to flow through me. In a way, you don’t feel you can really even call it your own, but then again, it’s nobody else’s. I didn’t know where it came from, but I knew it was exceptional. It’s as if there’s this chemical feeling, the creating of something that is so exceptional it’s addictive. It’s one of the things that keeps you writing your whole life — you’re trying to get to that place again,” Simon shared with Robert Hilburn, chief pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times, for the book Paul Simon:The Life.  The real reason Garfunkel rejected ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’  Simon knew this “humble little gospel song” would be perfect for his partner Art Garfunkel’s pure, angelic tenor voice. But to Simon’s surprise, Garfunkel said no.  The pair had already dealt with ongoing disagreements, both creatively and personally. So, one might assume that Garfunkel’s reticence stemmed from not liking the song. But as Garfunkel remembered it, that was not the case. He was merely looking out for his friend.  “When Paul showed me ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water,’ he did say it was for me. And I loved the song immediately. My way of saying thank you was: ‘Are you sure? Because you sound lovely singing it, and it’s almost like you could do it…’ “Now, the famous story is that he took offence and that became a thorn between us, as if I was rejecting the song. That’s nonsense. I don’t remember him having a hard time with my grace. He said: ‘No, I wrote it for you.’ I said: ‘Thank you, man,’ and got into singing it.” The hit song that spelled the end By 1970, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was released, launching what would become the peak of Simon & Garfunkel’s musical career together. However, it would also mark the beginning of the end for their duo.  For starters, tensions rose when Garfunkel took on a film role in Catch-22. This delayed studio sessions and forced Paul Simon to wait in New York while Garfunkel was away filming. Worse still, Garfunkel had expected Simon to write the remainder of the album while he was away. That way, it would be ready to record once he returned. That left Simon feeling stuck with all the “heavy lifting.”  Simon’s resentment grew as Garfunkel’s vocal performance of the song became an iconic, career-defining moment. It was a moment Simon couldn’t help but envy. As Simon recalled: “Many times on stage, when I’d be sitting off to the side… and Artie would be singing it, people would stomp and cheer when it was over, and I would think: ‘That’s my song, man. Thank you very much. I wrote that.’ In the earlier days, when things were smoother, I never would have thought that, but towards the end, when things were strained, I did.” By 1971, the legendary folk-rock pair, who had begun performing together as sixth-graders, had officially parted ways. But “Bridge over Troubled Water” remains a beloved classic, covered by everyone from Aretha Franklin to Harry Styles. Simon has even performed it solo.  The song may have helped bring the end of Simon and Garfunkel, but its story proves that even relationships that don’t last can create something lasting.  The post Art Garfunkel initially refused to sing Paul Simon’s ‘humble gospel song.’ It became their biggest hit. appeared first on Upworthy.

When it comes to social energy, homebodies recharge in the solace of their homes. They find peace and comfort staying in. This contentment may confuse people who prefer to be anywhere but home, but it also doesn’t mean homebodies are strictly introverts. “Homebodies can be just as socially motivated as people who love to be out all the time,” Blythe Landry, LCSW, M.Ed., founder of Grief to Purpose, tells Upworthy. “They simply find joy in their own company as a way to regenerate between social endeavors, rather than use being busy as a way to escape their own company.” Hidden strengths of homebodies Homebodies possess many powers and dualities. “Homebodies can be highly social, adventurous, and outgoing, while loving the comfort of their own home. Both can be true,” Mandy Lam, LCSW, LCAT, MT-BC, a licensed therapist and founder of Mindful Roots Collective, tells Upworthy. These are seven of their hidden strengths, according to psychologists and therapists: Hidden strength No. 1: They can make themselves happy, and that skill goes with them everywhere Homebodies aren’t relying on a friend group or constant social activity for most of their happiness. “That doesn’t mean they lack relationships; they typically have very satisfying and important ones,” Emily Turinas, PhD, Licensed Psychologist at Live Oak Psychology, tells Upworthy. “But when friends are busy, or life shifts through something like a move and their usual supports aren’t available, homebodies tend to see far less disruption to their mental well-being. They’ve already built comfort in the world they’ve created at home, and they can fall back on that at any point in life, no matter what’s happening around them.” Hidden strength No. 2: They more easily find contentment “Homebodies often have the ability to find joy in everyday routines,” Savannah Matlock, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker, tells Upworthy. “They can find satisfaction in simple, everyday activities, like reading, cooking, and spending time with loved ones and pets at home. Being able to appreciate these moments can provide a sense of contentment without constantly seeking new experiences.” Hidden Strength No. 3: They design their space with intention Homebodies set up their homes with purpose. “The lighting, the blankets, the playlists, and their daily routines are all chosen on purpose,” Christiana Redeaux, DSW, LCSW-S, a licensed clinical social worker, tells Upworthy. “They’ve learned what helps calm their nervous system and decompress, so they build those things into their home for everyday living.” Hidden strength No. 4: They know what recharges them “Staying home to spend time alone is often a way for homebodies to recharge, and many people in my caseload say they’re aware of how much alone time they need before they start feeling emotionally drained,”  Stephanie Levitt, MA, LPC, NCC, founder and Licensed Professional Counselor of Pathways Counseling Services, tells Upworthy. Hidden strength No. 5: They have rich internal worlds Homebodies can be deep thinkers with rich inner lives. “This could look like taking time to think through an idea or project, having fun jumping around to different interesting topics, or practicing conversations internally,” Tyana Tavakol, a licensed trauma therapist in California and Florida and owner of the virtual private practice Uncovering You, tells Upworthy. “Their minds likely are interesting enough in and of themselves that having the space to think through things at home can be very helpful rather than being outside with distractions and interruptions.” Hidden strength No. 6: They have a strong sense of self Simply put, homebodies know who they are. “Homebodies tend to know what they want and don’t feel pressure to do things just to make others happy,” says Turinas. “In their teens and twenties especially, being a homebody often means resisting the peer pressure to be out all the time. I’d guess plenty of people their age would secretly rather be home too, they just aren’t saying so.” Hidden strength No. 7: They invest in deep, selective relationships Homebodies prefer their relationships to be substantive. “Because homebodies are content spending time with themselves or their family, they aren’t constantly searching for meaning or validation from others,” Turinas notes. “Their energy goes into the relationships that matter most, which makes those connections richer.” The post Therapists share 7 hidden strengths homebodies have that keep them content at home appeared first on Upworthy.

Cell phones have become such a normal part of daily life that most of us barely notice their ubiquity. That is, unless you’re a teacher battling cell phone use in school. Classrooms and cell phones are a bad combo, but with more than half of U.S. kids getting their own phone by age 12, it’s definitely an issue. Many schools (and even entire states) are instituting phone bans, including one Kansas middle school whose three-year experiment had its principal singing the ban’s praises. View this post on Instagram From better grades and attendance to a simple return ‘hello’ McPherson Middle School in Kansas implemented a policy requiring students to keep their cell phones in their lockers for the entire school day. Inge Esping, McPherson’s principal (and the 2025 Kansas Middle Level Principal of the Year), told EdWeek that the results after three years were “pretty wild.” Chronic absenteeism dropped from 39% to 11%, and school suspensions fell by 70%. But interactions with students really stood out for Esping. “Now, when I say hello to students,” she said, “they’re more likely than before to say ‘hello’ in return.” Tony Cattani, principal of Lenape High School in Medford, N.J., shared how the school’s policy of putting phones in pouches during class has also changed how students work and interact. “They can focus on their work, our grades are up, our conversations and classes are better, and we’re getting to a better routine,” Cattani told EdWeek. I was talking to a friend of mine who is a high school teacher at a school with a new “no phones in the classroom policy” and he said that he had to do something this week that he hasn’t had to do in years — ask students to stop talking.— Hank Green (@hankgreen) September 8, 2024 Psychologist Angela Duckworth told the University of Michigan that researchers are “seeing meaningful patterns emerge” in the data around cell phone policies: “For example, teachers are seeing students talk in hallways face-to-face and engage in the kind of social learning that can’t happen through a screen.” Dealing with pushback from parents It may come as no surprise that limiting or eliminating student cell phone use during the school day would have positive impacts. What may be surprising is how many parents push back against the idea. For Esping, parents were split 50/50. “We had about half of our parents who were incredibly excited for this change, and about half of our parents that were very nervous,” she said. Cattani told EdWeek it was more like 80/20 at his school, with the majority concerned about not being able to contact their child throughout the day. Not having easy access to their phones in emergencies, such as active shooter situations, made parents particularly nervous. “When I talked about our crisis plan and explained that a cellphone isn’t going to be the thing that prevents or saves students, it was helpful,” he said. Teachers, on the other hand, are all for it. Last year, Cattani brought his 225 staff members together in small groups to answer the question, “What is one thing we could do next year to get better?” Unanimously, they said they wanted a clear and strict cell phone policy. Evidence-based policy decisions Phones in Focus is a nonpartisan research initiative that “aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for school phone policies that optimally support academic learning, healthy social relationships, and emotional well-being.” It’s the first national study of school cell phone policies and the largest survey of teachers on the subject, with over 68,000 responses representing around 17% of American public schools. View this post on Instagram The research team has found that the share of schools in their sample with bell-to-bell phone bans rose from 60% in the 2024–25 school year to 74% in 2025-26. About half of high schools surveyed have such a ban, while 90% of elementary and middle schools do. The study collected commentary from teachers, who describe the impact of cell phone bans on not only academics but also students’ social well-being. “As an educator, it is nice to see students interacting [and] socializing with each other face to face. It makes the lunchroom louder,” one teacher wrote. Another noted, “The [bell-to-bell ban] is much better. We have fewer discipline problems related to phones, and students are more engaged in class…they are learning to socialize again.” The post A school kept phones in lockers. Its principal noticed a change in a simple ‘hello.’ appeared first on Upworthy.

There are now more special activities at school than ever: school spirit day, pajama day, dress like you’re 100 (for the 100th day of school, of course), and book character day. Then there’s the book fair, the fundraiser, superhero day, red ribbon week, and support your favorite sports team day. While fun, these special days can be a lot of work for parents who have to provide supplies and outfits, often at the last minute. One comedian recently took note of this trend and, in a series of videos, brilliantly satirized it. Comedian lists unhinged things kids need for school at the last minute Jeremy Konopka is a social media creator, actor, singer, and comedian. He’s racked up over 100,000 Instagram followers with his blisteringly funny skits, observations, and reenactments. Recently, he’s hit on a phenomenon that resonates deeply with his audience: kids’ last-minute requests for strange or obscure objects they need for school. He’s mining it for laughs, and his audience is absolutely eating it up. Playing the role of an all-too-casual kid the night before school, here are a few things Konopka “asks” for in just one of his videos: “You know how we’re reading The Great Gatsby? Well, tomorrow we’re all dressing like the Roaring Twenties.” “I need a pack of sugar-free Reese’s because tomorrow we’re doing our Halloween party.” “I need to bring in the new modem for our class Wi-Fi; they said it has to be Xfinity.” It’s not all things parents need to rush out and buy. Their precious time isn’t safe, either: “Oh, Mom, you’re judging the Spelling Bee tomorrow at 8am.” “Mom, I forgot to tell you, you have to decorate for the winter formal dance and the theme is Narnia.” “You’re the library mom this year.” “Mom, tomorrow it’s picture day and you’re taking the pictures.” And sometimes it’s a combo of time and money that’s required: “Can we just leave a little early tomorrow so that we can go to Dunkin and get, like, three dozen donuts for Mardi Gras?” View this post on Instagram The skits have parents in absolute stitches If Konopka is playing things up for laughs, it’s just barely. Parents have been flooding the comments on his viral videos to share their own stories of unhinged, last-minute school needs: “Mine just informed me yesterday, I was bringing the snacks for an overnight bus trip he is taking today. Not any snacks. The list goes by the first letter of the kids last name and its very specific” “I get stuck baking for her food stalls until 4am because she forgets to tell me until the day before.” “My sister volunteered my mom to help dissect a sheep eye and she didn’t tell her until they were on their way to school” “My son just volunteered me for a class bbq – gotta be there at 6.30am on a saturday” “I found out the night before I needed to dress my son like he was 100 years old” Stories just like these go on and on by the hundreds. View this post on Instagram Truth behind the sketches Parenting in 2026 is…a lot. Being overwhelmed by school communications and special activities or celebrations is just one slice of the pie. The truth is that parents are completely burned out, overwhelmed, and exhausted by the demands on their time, money, and energy. The average parent gets about 20 emails a week about their kids’ school and extracurriculars. Multiply that per kid, especially if they’re in different schools and activities, and it gets out of hand in a hurry. It’s no wonder parents struggle to remember when it’s Bring a Stuffy Day. View this post on Instagram Will things ease up for parents anytime soon? Probably not. But at least skits like these from Konopka give parents a chance to laugh through the pain and find solace in the comments section, reminding them that, no, they’re not alone. The post Comedian nails the obscure, last-minute school requests kids drop on parents at 10pm appeared first on Upworthy.