Across Asia, children are living past their 1st birthday at record rates that underscore just how successful the region has been at raising the standards of living. In India, China, and Indonesia—the world’s 3 most populous nations, infant mortality rates have fallen to record lows. The most populous of the 3, India, recorded a drop […] The post Record Low Child Mortality Rates Recorded in Both India and China appeared first on Good News Network.

One of the most distinctive aspects of Michael Jackson’s mega-stardom was that he grew up almost entirely in the public eye. He began performing with his brothers at age five and remained a significant figure in American pop culture until he died in 2009. He burst onto the scene as a child with an incredibly soulful voice. He became an electrifying performer as a teen before rocketing to superstardom at 20 with the release of his first solo album, 1979’s Off the Wall. One of the pivotal moments when the public witnessed this transformation came in 1975, when 16-year-old Michael performed with his brothers, The Jackson 5, on TheCher Show. The Jackson 5 and Cher performed a medley of the band’s biggest hits, including “I Want You Back,” “I’ll Be There,” and “Never Can Say Goodbye.” But the most memorable moment came when Michael and his brothers broke into the robot dance during “Dancing Machine,” and Cher did her best to keep up. The Jackson 5 and Cher do the robot dance It’s fun watching Cher try to fall in line with the Jacksons, while Michael absolutely kills it, gyrating like an animatronic on hyperdrive during his solo. The Jackson 5 may have helped bring the robot dance into the public consciousness by incorporating it into performances of their 1973 hit “Dancing Machine.” But it traces back to mechanical “mannequin” dances from the early days of film. In the 1960s, Robin Shields, a popular mime, performed as a robot on late-night talk shows. By the 1970s, dancers had set those moves to music on shows such as Soul Train. In a 2003 interview, Cher said she had to learn the moves on the fly from the Jacksons. “Think of how hard it was for me to learn to do that, and the guys just knew how to do it. I’ve been working all day, and they just came on and said, ‘Okay, sure, this is how you do it,'” Cher recalled. “I had a lot of fun on that show. It was a lot of work, but I had a lot of fun. You know, and I got to work with some great people.” What’s also notable about the performance is that Michael’s voice had changed, and he sang in a deeper register than he had as a child a few years earlier. Things changed for Cher and the Jacksons in 1976 By the following year, things had changed for both The Jackson 5 and Cher. Cher reunited with her ex-husband, Sonny Bono, for The Sonny and Cher Show, which ran until 1977. In 1976, The Jackson 5 left Motown Records for Epic Records and changed their name to The Jacksons. Jermaine Jackson temporarily left the group to pursue a solo career, and he was replaced by his brother, Randy. Here’s The Jackson 5’s complete performance on The Cher Show from March 16, 1975: What makes the clip so watchable isn’t just Michael’s technical skill, though that’s on full display. It’s the glimpse of a performer in the middle of becoming something the world had never seen before. He was 16, in the middle of a variety show segment, and he was already moving in a way that made everyone else in the frame look like they were catching up. The next few years would prove he wasn’t just ahead of the curve on that stage. He was ahead of it everywhere. This article originally appeared in January. It has been updated. The post In an iconic 1975 clip, a teenage Michael Jackson stuns Cher during hypnotic robot dance duet appeared first on Upworthy.

One of the fun things about traveling to different countries is that you not only get to learn about other cultures, but you also learn some things about your own. Americans who travel abroad often learn that people around the world appreciate them for being open, friendly, and good at spreading hope and optimism. On the other hand, people in other countries can often tell when an American is coming from a mile away because they speak loudly, whether indoors or outdoors. Americans also have a very peculiar body language and are known to lean on things when they have to stand for an extended period. A Reddit user posed a question in the AskReddit subforum to learn more about how Americans stand out abroad: What’s an “obvious” sign that someone is American? The post received more than 35,000 responses, with an overwhelming number of commenters noting that Americans are all smiles and love to make small talk, something most people appreciate. 15 ‘obvious’ signs that someone is American 1. They have a unique confidence “An Italian told me that Americans walk confidently in the wrong direction.” “Been taught to walk fast, and look worried.. People think you know what you’re doing.” 2. They’re friendly “I worked as a cashier in a tourist place in Paris, I always recognised Americans because they were kinda friendly to me and they always left tips.” “I guess there are worse things than friendly and generous.” 3. Time = distance “If someone asks how far away something is, an American will tell how you long it takes to get there as opposed to a physical distance.” “It actually pisses off some Americans to give a distance in miles, unless they’re calculating gas mileage. In some places, you have to give with and without traffic options. I think it’s more valuable info in time than in distance.” 4. Grinning at strangers “The gentle grins you give to strangers if you make eye contact with them as you pass by, at least in the Midwest. was not well received in Germany.” “I dated a European man here in the US. When we walked together, every time I made eye contact with someone on our path I would smile at them, and they would always smile back. Boyfriend was so confused at all these strangers smiling at me. Kept asking if I knew all these people. It was hilarious.” 5. They like personal space “How much personal space they give themselves. Americans like at LEAST an arm’s length.” “We’re conditioned to fill spaces evenly. I noticed when i worked delivery, spending lots of quality time on elevators that for every new person that enters, everybody shuffles to even things out. Similar thing plays out in social gatherings and bars. Not sure if that’s universal or not, but I find it interesting. I think the size of our personal bubbles is because our spaces are generally much larger because we’ve got the space (heh) to build bigger buildings, sidewalks, roads etc. Might also explain why we’re louder. Used to filling larger spaces with volume.” Body language expert Joe Navarro says that among Americans, the social zone for acquaintances and casual interactions is four to 12 feet, while family and close friends stand 1.5 to four feet apart. The intimate zone, for those closest to us, ranges from the skin to about 18 inches. Even the CIA noticed this one 6. They lean “According to the CIA, when training to be a spy, you have to unlearn how to lean. Americans tend to lean on things when standing still.” All of this is true, according to Jonna Mendez, the former chief of disguise at the CIA, who has shared some of her tips and tricks for making Americans seem more European. “So we would de-Americanize you,” Mendez told NPR. “They think that we are slouchy, a little sloppy. And they think that they can almost see that in our demeanor on the street because they stand up straight. They don’t lean on things.” 7. They don’t have an indoor voice “I’ve lived in America for 25 years, and it still irritates me that instead of lowering their voices in restaurants so everyone can hear, Americans just scream over each other and make their restaurants as loud as clubs.” “For some reason, my otherwise smart and wonderful American friends will speak in the same volume, diction, and speed regardless of any outside factor unless specifically asked.” 8. Dessert for breakfast “In my homestay in London, I was told that I was ‘so American’ for enjoying a piece of cake for breakfast (not frosted cake, but like a nuts and dried fruit spiced coffeecake kind of thing). Apparently, that’s exclusively for like a 4 pm snack, and breakfast is more of a savory meal.” “A lot of American breakfast items in my mind are desserts (pancakes, muffins, waffles, etc.). It doesn’t mean I won’t eat them, but it’s kinda weird to do so.” 9. They wear their clothes differently “A British man once told me he knew I was American because I was wearing a baseball cap backwards.” “An Italian told me they could tell I was American because I wore my sunglasses on the top of my head when I wasn’t using them.” 10. Exposed soles “While visiting Turkey, I was told that I looked American because I was sitting with one leg across the other, and the bottom of my shoe was exposed. Apparently, it’s rude idk.” “In a lot of places outside of the US, showing the bottom of your shoe is rude.” 11. Tactical gear “Tactical sunglasses.” “I’m in the US, and virtually anything marketed towards men has the word ‘tactical’ in front of it.” 12. They love small talk “I’m from California (though a smallish town), and we wave to neighbors on our road, even if we haven’t met, and start conversations in the grocery line with people if the opportunity presents itself. Also, smiling and saying hello to someone you happen to walk by and make eye contact with is quite normal. We are a social species, it would be so weird not to be friendly, even to strangers, for me, and I’m not even that social of a person.” “What really gets me to it is not that Americans do small talk constantly, but the fact that they are so good and fast at it. I mean, I say ‘yeah, it’s hot,’ and they reply with some interesting fact or make a connection to their hometown. I feel less of myself after this. They must have some small talk class in school or some sh*t.” 13. They like to point “I’ve always observed my US friends like to point at stuff while walking and say what it is…. We were out walking around Amsterdam recently and they were like ‘hey look it’s a smoke shop’…. ‘Oh look a sex shop’…. ‘Oh hey, it’s a prostitute’ …. ‘Look at the canal’…. ‘Wow it’s another prostitute’….. ‘another canal’ etc etc. It was like watching Netflix with Audio Descriptions turned on.” “You know that little voice inside your head, your internal monologue? Americans seem to monologue their thoughts.” 14. Optimism and enthusiasm “Dunno in all context, but Americans in Europe stand out with their ceaseless optimism and enthusiasm.” “I’m reminded a lot of Ted Lasso. Everyone I know (all Americans) loves the show. I wonder what kind of European fan base it has.” “Americans are so positive and have such a thirst for life. It sickens me.” 15. They eat while walking “When I lived in Europe, people said only Americans eat while walking. I’d be eating a bagel or something on the way to work or class, and multiple people asked if I was American lol.” “Jay Leno said on Top Gear, I think it was, that Americans are also the only people who eat while driving. I don’t do this, but I constantly see people who do, haha, especially in LA, where people spend a lot of time in their cars.” What this list actually says about us What’s striking about this list is how many of the “giveaways” are actually just descriptions of a culture that leans into openness. Smiling at strangers, making small talk, tipping the cashier, walking with purpose, these aren’t quirks so much as a set of deeply ingrained social habits that most Americans don’t even realize they have until someone from elsewhere points them out. Some entries on the list sting a little. Most of them, though, are a pretty decent thing to be known for. This article originally appeared in January. It has been updated. The post People from around the globe share 15 signs that someone is obviously an American appeared first on Upworthy.

Saving money in 2025 was no easy feat. With rising home and grocery prices, everyday life became increasingly expensive. But frugal people made it work. They used their savvy, money-saving skills to cut heating costs, grocery bills, and more. In a discussion on Reddit, frugal people shared how they managed to save boatloads of money in 2025. These are 23 of the most effective ways they saved money. Here are all the ways they did it “Mine was just bringing my own food to work. I didn’t think it would matter that much, but not buying lunch out every day saved way more than I expected.” – salamagogo “Meal planning prioritizing what I have in my fridge that will go bad in the next few days. My food waste is way down once I started doing this.” – danedori “It’s a great year for savin money. I completely stopped ordering takeout and drive-thru. Air fryer and rice cooker for the win! Brought all my own lunches. Best bonus, lost some weight, and brought down my blood pressure a couple digits.” – garlicnaughts “Biggest change that will pay dividends (eventually) that I made was upping my mortgage repayments. About 2 years in at what started as a 30-year, I am now on pace to be done in another 15. If I can shave off a couple more in the coming years and just be done in 15 years all in, would be pretty happy. Gonna save me hundreds of thousands in interest over the life of the loan.” – dinkygoat “Track my spending daily and aim for 13-18 no spend days a month. I’m ending this year with 60% No spend days and added over $1k/month to savings.” – justanother1014 “I also have a list in my reminders app for upcoming bills. It’s kept me home so much this month to see that I have $500 in car repairs next week so no, I don’t need to go out shopping right now.” – justanother1014 Most things don't belong in the trash… they deserve a second chance.There was a time when we repaired, restored, and took pride in the things we owned. Today, it's often easier to replace than revive. But bringing something back to life isn't just satisfying—it saves money,… pic.twitter.com/HZ05AvPdju— PeachProof (@PeachProof23) June 25, 2026 “Also: not logging into Amazon those little purchases really add up!” – Rowland_rowboat “I mix black beans in with my ground beef. I use this in almost any recipe with ground beef, but mostly Mexican food which my family loves. It’s wayyy cheaper and healthier. And you still get the taste of meat. You could do pinto beans or white beans as well. Also, my investment in an instant pot was great because in other beans (cheap!) and can have them ready to go in an hour.” – Liza_Jane_ Surprising savings from unexpected places “Finally got a bidet this year. Shortly after, I switched to bidet cloths. I don’t even think about toilet paper anymore, though I keep a couple rolls on hand for guests. Wish I’d done it sooner.” – after_tomorrow “I signed up for a few store delivery services, two with half price specials, and a subsidized ride share program for seniors, which allowed us to go to one car. We save more money not having the second car vs. paying for the other services. Walmart+ ships free and does free return pickup, plus includes a free streaming channel, so that has been an especially nice time and money saver.” – bob49877 “I bought more produce saver containers and washable silicone food storage bags so we use very few Ziploc kind of bags anymore.” – bob49877 “I’ve started making baked potatoes from Sam’s in the crockpot, just put on high for 4 hours, keeping extra in the fridge for reheating for meals for a few days. Ten pound bag, two days worth of calories, for only $3.77.” – bob49877 “I switched to loose teas I use with metal tea strainers to save money and avoid plastics from regular tea bags.” – bob49877 “I put as many electronic devices as feasible on power strips and reduced the electric bill by $25 a month.” – bob49877 “I bought a used Kindle and ended up spending $0 on books this year thanks to Libby.” – agoraphobiai “Surprisingly, it was getting one of those budget tracking apps. I didn’t think it would do much but it really shifted my mentality when I saw that I was spending 200+ on eating out everyday, and much more on entertainment than I thought.” – Exotic_Caregiver_179 Declutter, track, and sell your way to savings “Don’t accumulate clutter- a huge time and money saver. No storage lockers lingering away, no stacks of boxes in the basement. Yard sale that stuff or give it away.” – Due-Kale3412 “Also- Smartphone coupons. I worked at a big corporate retail store and noticed how popular these are with younger shoppers. If a coupon is offered, use it. Some stores are all about it (Menard’s, Kohl’s) others won’t mention them but a verifiable coupon will be honored.” – Due-Kale3412 “Selling on fb marketplace. It’s slow, it can be frustrating but you just keep stuff going and it can be nice.” – emeraldead Where the grocery wins really add up “Last week of every month we do an eat down of the pantry/freezer. I will only buy absolute essentials (fresh milk, fruit) that week and get creative with everything else. It’s basically cut our grocery costs by 20%.” – playhookie “Shopping at Aldi really helped my grocery budget. My budget is 250.00 every two weeks and ordering online at Kroger, it kept creeping up steadily and not leaving any room for produce or forgotten items. Now I can get a full cart of groceries at Aldi for 100-150.00 and just get my specialty items from Kroger. My fridge and pantry are definitely fuller now. We really trimmed the grocery bill this year doing this. It really helped.” – LeighofMar, Rowland_rowboat “Going out for special dates only, more expensive, less often, much more memorable, and much less average eating out.” – SoggyBottomTorrija “Making soup. Soup is pretty cheap and easy to make. I usually cook a pot each week. This week’s was broccoli cheddar soup. The week before that was chicken noodle and the week before that was butternut squash soup. It’s something we really enjoy and it helps save us money. Having soup in the fridge means we always have something to eat. Especially when we don’t feel like cooking. So we may have it for lunch or supper or even breakfast if we don’t feel like making something else.” – Euphoric_War_2195 What all of these have in common None of these tips require a drastic lifestyle overhaul. No extreme couponing. No giving up things you actually enjoy. The thread running through all of them is simply paying attention to what’s in the fridge, what’s on the power strip, what’s in the Amazon cart, and what’s quietly draining the account every month. The people who saved the most in 2025 weren’t the ones who made the biggest sacrifices. They were the ones who noticed the small leaks first. This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated. The post Frugal people share their best money-saving tips that worked for them in 2025 appeared first on Upworthy.

Many people experience social awkwardness from time to time, but for some, it happens much more often. They accidentally say the wrong thing, miss social cues, or are simply overly shy at parties, in meetings, or around people in general. It can make you wonder how social awkwardness still exists as a trait in humans, given that we’ve evolved into such a highly social species, starting with small tribes built for survival and eventually growing into the thriving societies we have today. Well, one psychologist has a theory about how socially awkward people not only survived evolution but actually thrived. “There’s this curious and strong correlation between social awkwardness and what researchers call ‘extraordinary achievement’ or ‘striking talent,'” said psychologist Ty Tashiro on the A Bit of Optimism podcast. “People who achieve amazing things in this world, things that are kind of the tail end of the bell curve, they’re actually more likely to be more awkward.” @simonsinek What if being socially awkward is actually a superpower? Ty Tashiro, an incredible psychologist and author, joined me on A Bit of Optimism this week for a deep dive on why awkward is awesome. It’s an episode filled with laughs, ‘aha’ moments, and maybe a bit of self-recognition. Check it out wherever you listen to podcasts and find out why your next awkward moment could be the start of something amazing. ♬ original sound – Simon Sinek So what does science actually say about it? Tashiro explained that socially awkward individuals often have an “obsessive interest in things,” zeroing in on details and minutiae, sometimes at the cost of engaging with others or following social norms. However, he argues that this obsessiveness can translate into persistence during hard times and resilience in the face of challenges, ultimately helping them achieve great things. This could explain why many people perceive brilliant scientists as smart but poor communicators, and why so many highly successful people who are often considered geniuses or leaders in their fields are also introverts. “Socially awkward individuals often spend a lot of time alone,” therapist Lesley Lasker told Upworthy. “This provides the opportunity for them to process information thoroughly, look at all different angles and analyze situations in a more depth manner than non-socially awkward individuals.” Support systems are necessary for success But can being socially awkward or neurodivergent really lead to greater resilience in the face of struggles and more persistence when confronting challenges? The experts who spoke to Upworthy believe it’s possible, especially when socially awkward individuals have a strong support system around them. “Resilience is built when we go through difficult situations and come out on the other side, realizing that we are okay,” said Lasker. “For socially awkward people, these challenging situations often happen several times a day, every day of the week. The difference between someone who is able to build resilience and someone who is not often comes down to whether or not they live within a supportive environment.” “The key factor in whether these ‘super powers’ lead to resilience really depends on support systems such as family, education, social, and psychological support make all the difference,” said therapist Karissa Provost. “Social awkwardness is a blessing and a curse. The reason that many people are socially awkward is because their brain is so unique and sees the world in such different ways that they naturally don’t conform to social norms,” said Tyana Tavakol, a licensed trauma therapist in California and Florida, and virtual private practice owner of Uncovering You. “This uniqueness can build resilience when their awkwardness is more consistently than not taken as quirky, funny, or some other type of endearing way. This can happen when they grew up in a very attuned and accepting home or family, or happened to find friends or community that also have their own unique brains and can really appreciate that in others.” “For those who struggle to build resilience, it is likely they experienced the exact opposite: being bullied, shamed, criticized, or going through other types of negative responses to their social awkwardness more often than they got support for it,” Tavakol added. “There’s also a biological component,” said Provost. “Resilience is linked to brain structure, particularly how the frontal cortex regulates emotional responses from the amygdala. People with better-regulated fear responses recover more quickly from social stress, and the good news is this can be developed through coping skills and emotional regulation strategies over time.” What if social awkwardness still hurts? Lasker told Upworthy that social awkwardness can still feel emotionally overwhelming, and that breathing techniques, grounding exercises, and other strategies can help regulate that stress. She also recommends that socially awkward people “create scripts” for common social situations to rely on in order to make them more comfortable and confident. This can include small talk like, “Hi, how was your day?” or “How do you know the host?” Overall, self-compassion is the key to working through socially awkward feelings and building resilience. @kolourmemisfit_24 Be my friend #sociallyawkward #awkward #awkwardmoments #momsoftiktok #momfriends #locs #girlswithtattoos ♬ original sound – millsedits “Developing self compassion can help a socially awkward person to build resilience,” Lasker concluded. “It is common for a socially awkward individual to blame themselves excessively, but when you speak to yourself compassionately in the same way that you would speak to a friend, resilience will grow.” This article originally appeared in January. It has been updated. The post Psychologist says socially awkward people have thrived through history because of this hidden trait appeared first on Upworthy.