Good News Headlines 3/8/2023
Photo©ZanderBothamin
South Africa’s ‘Black Mermaid’ Is Changing Ocean Narratives
by Daisy Greenwell, Positive News
When Zandile Ndhlovu started scuba diving in her native South Africa, she was the only black person on the boat. Beneath the surface of the ocean she had discovered the place where she felt most herself – “an incredible world filled with wonder” – but it was seen by her fellow black Africans as a “white space”. To the dismay of her family, her love of the water compelled her to give up her steady 9-5 job to spend her life in a wetsuit, as she trained to become South Africa’s first black African freediving instructor. “My grandmother thought I was crazy … my whole family did!” she laughs. “I belong to the Zulu tribe and a lot of people say to me ‘why do you do white people things?’”
This High School Gave Spending Power To Students
by Asher Lehrer-Small, Reasons to Be Cheerful
It was the first day of the 2021 fall semester and Ajah Johnson could not believe what her teachers were telling her. By the end of the course, the instructors said, she and her peers would get to choose how to spend $10,000 to upgrade their school however they decided was best. “I thought it was a lie,” Johnson said, figuring the classroom exercise involved make-believe money. “There’s no way they’re giving us $10,000.” But to her delight, the cash was real. Over the following months, she and her peers at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island received lessons in budgeting, survey techniques and local government, then eventually designed proposals for how to allocate the money.
Tiktok Sets Time Limit Of 60 Minutes For Teens. The Move Could Create Mindful Social Media Use
by Jacalyn Wetzel, Upworthy
TikTok has been on the minds of teens and adults alike over the past few years. Social media and the significant role it plays in the decline of adolescent mental health has been a prime discussion as study after study raises concern. Teens don’t just face cyberbullying via social media apps, they’re also susceptible to body image issues and feelings of low self-esteem based off of the images they see online. It seems that TikTok has taken note of the concerns and is attempting to help teens set healthier boundaries around the use of the app. The social media giant announced that they would be setting a default time limit of one hour for app users under the age of 18.
Renewable Energy Generation Setting Records In Australia
by Fisher Brown, Happy Eco News
When one reads about the transition to renewable energy, the story often feels out of place compared to what is felt in real life regarding our energy use. It often feels like these decisions are falsely soothing our climate anxiety without taking any necessary action. However, this isn’t always the case. Many countries worldwide are taking genuine, large-scale action to curb our climate crisis. They are showcasing models that can be replicated in other countries. Australia is one of those countries, and while some of its solutions may be more or less feasible, it nonetheless is taking real action to secure its place in history as one of the few who showed it is possible.
Alongside Math And Reading, Schools Are Now Teaching Happiness
by Michaela Haas, Reasons to Be Cheerful
The children at the elementary school in Braunschweig, Germany, are planting a “garden of emotions.” One by one, they step up to the front of their class, in their hand a yellow or orange paper flower, on which they have written what made them joyful this morning. “I got to snuggle with my dog,” a young girl says. “I found a coin on the street,” a boy wrote on his note. Another says, “My dad cuddled with me this morning.” The kids are collecting small and big moments of happiness, both literally and figuratively. Science shows that savoring moments of happiness actually makes us happier. 16 elementary schools in the town of Braunschweig have been holding the happiness course once a week.
