10 Years Ago, Jon Stewart Went On An Epic Rant On CNN. It Never Gets Old.

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It's hard to believe this was over a decade ago already. But it's still the best thing ever. And still 100% true.

How good was he? So good that CNN actually cancelled "Crossfire" a few months later. Not only did they cancel it, but they cited Stewart's criticism as one of the reasons why. Seriously. The president of CNN was straight-up quoted in the New York Times saying, "I agree wholeheartedly with Jon Stewart's overall premise."

Stewart can claim that he's just a comedian till he's blue in the face. The fact remains: Dude got a terrible show canceled. He deserves our eternal, unyielding gratitude.

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Mitch McConnell mocked Jon Stewart's work on behalf of 9/11 victims. Big mistake. - Upworthy ›

Family

Technology expert shares the one message that can get teens to rethink their screentime

“Social media is free because you pay for it with your time.”

via Dino Ambrosi (used with permission)

Dino Ambrosi speaks at a school assembly.

In a 2023 TEDx Talk at Laguna Blanca School, Dino Ambrosi made a startling revelation that perfectly underlines the big question of the smartphone era: What is my time worth? Ambrosi is the founder of Project Reboot and an expert at guiding teens and young adults to develop more empowering relationships with technology.

Assuming the average person now lives to 90, after calculating the average time they spend sleeping, going to school, working, cooking, eating, doing chores, sleeping, and taking care of personal hygiene, today’s 18-year-olds have only 334 months of their adult lives to themselves.

"How you spend this time will determine the quality of your life,” Ambrosi says. However, given the tech habits of today’s young people, most of those months will be spent staring at screens, leaving them with just 32 months to leave their mark on the world. "Today, the average 18-year-old in the United States is on pace to spend 93% of their remaining free time looking at a screen,” Ambrosi says.

dino ambrosi, teens and technology, smartphone addiction An 18-year-olds remaining time, in months. via TEDx

The idea that an entire generation will spend most of their free time in front of screens is chilling. However, the message has a silver lining. Sharing this information with young people can immediately impact how they spend their time.

How to get teens to reduce their screentime

Ambrosi says his work with Project Reboot through on-campus initiatives, school assemblies, and parent workshops has taught him that teens are more concerned about time wasted on their phones than the damage it may do to their mental health. Knowing the topic that resonates can open the door for an effective dialogue about a topic that’s hard for many young people to discuss. When teens realize they are giving their entire lives away for free, they are more apt to reconsider their relationship with smartphones.

“I actually don't get through to a lot of teens, as well as when I help them realize the value of their time and then highlight the fact that that time is being stolen from them,” Ambrosi told Upworthy.

A Common Sense Media study shows that the average 13 to 18-year-old, as of 2021, spent an average of 8 hours and 39 minutes a day on entertainment screentime.

“It’s important to get them to view time as their most valuable resource that they can use to invest in themselves or enjoy life and tick the boxes on their bucket list. I really want them to see that that's something they should take control of and prioritize because we're all under the impression that social media is free, but it's actually not free. We just pay for it with our time.”

dino ambrosi, project reboot, teens smartphones Dino AMbrosi speaks at Berkeley.via Dino Ambrosi (used with permission)

Ambrosi believes that young people are less likely to hand their time to tech companies for free when they understand its value. “I find that kids really respond to that message because nobody wants to feel manipulated, right? And giving them that sense of being wronged, which I think they have been, by tech companies that are off operating on business models that are not aligned with their well-being, is important.”

He also believes parents should be sympathetic and nonjudgmental when talking to young people about screentime because it’s a struggle that just about everyone faces and feels shame about. A little understanding will prevent them from shutting down the conversation altogether.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

How to reduce my screentime

Ambrosi has some suggestions to help people reduce their screentime.

The ClearSpace app

ClearSpace forces you to take a breathing delay before using a distracting app. It also asks you to set a time limit and allows you to set a number of visits to the site per day. If you eclipse the number of visits, it sends a text to a friend saying you exceeded your budget. This can help people be accountable for one another’s screentime goals.

Don’t sleep with your phone

Ambrosi says to charge your phone far away from your bedside stand when you sleep and use an alarm clock to wake up. If you do have an alarm clock on your phone, set up an automation so that as soon as you turn off the alarm, it opens up an app like Flora or Forest and starts an hour-long timer that incentivizes you to be off your phone for the first hour of the day.

“In my experience, if you can stay off screens for the last hour and the first hour of the day, the other 22 hours get a lot easier because you get the quality rest and sleep that you need to wake up fully charged, and now you're more capable of being intentional because you are at your best," Ambrosi told Upworty.

Keep apps in one place

Ambrosi says to keep all of your social apps and logins on one device. “I try to designate a specific use for each device as much as possible,” he told Upworthy. “I try to keep all my social media time and all my entertainment on my phone as opposed to my computer because I want my computer to be a tool for work.”

Even though there are significant challenges ahead for young people as they try to navigate a screen-based world while keeping them at a healthy distance, Ambrosi is optimistic about the future.

“I'm really optimistic because I have seen in the last year, in particular, that the receptiveness of student audiences has increased by almost an order of magnitude. Kids are waking up to the fact that this is the problem. They want to have this conversation,” he told Upworthy. “Some clubs are starting to address this problem at several schools right now; from the talks I've given this semester alone, kids want to be involved in this conversation. They're creating phone-free spaces on college and high school campuses by their own accord. I just think we have a huge potential to leverage this moment to move things in the right direction.”

For more information on Ambrosi’s programs, visit ProjectReboot.School.

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Science

The reason why humans started kissing each other is kinda gross but really interesting

Let's just say love has evolved.

via Canva/Photos

A couple ready to smack lips.

There are few more beautiful moments in life than a romantic kiss. But there are a lot of other reasons why humans kiss, too. There’s the kiss that a parent gives a child to show them love. There’s the kiss that friends give each other on the cheek and the kiss of death from a mob boss, signaling that a member of the family is going to die.

Kisses play an essential role in the social lives of humans, but where did this behavior come from? Previous theories suggest it’s a holdover from the instinctual sucking that humans do as babies to get milk. Some researchers believe it’s behavior that evolved from when mothers would chew their baby's food before feeding it to them mouth-to-mouth.

Others have suggested that it’s a way for humans to sniff one another for “social” inspection. It’s a way of finding out where that person has been, who they've been with and what they've been eating.

Why do humans kiss?

A new research paper by Dr. Adriano R. Lameira, an Associate Professor and UK Research & Innovation Future Leaders Fellow at the Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, UK, argues that it comes from primate grooming rituals. “The most likely and straightforward evolutionary explanation is that mouth-to-mouth kissing evolved from an earlier form of kissing involving the mouth and other body parts,” he writes.

— (@)

The disturbing part is that, according to Lameria, when we pucker up our lips and suck on someone else, it mimics a behavior we used to remove parasites from one another’s fur when we were apes.

Why do primates groom each other?

Grooming is a vital ritual in the world of primates. It consists of one ape picking through the fur of another and removing parasites, dead skin and debris. “Grooming helps to establish and maintain alliances, hierarchies, and group cohesion through social touch, with the consequent release of endorphins, which reduces stress and promotes feelings of well-being between groomer and groomed, further cementing social ties,” Lameria writes.

Whenever an ape finds something to remove from another’s skin, they usually eradicate it by sucking it off their body, in a behavior that works precisely like a kiss. The kiss-like motion is the last final stage of removing each piece of debris so that every grooming session ends with a final kiss. As apes evolved into humans, we lost most of our hair, so grooming sessions became shorter and shorter. “Presumably, up until the ultimate point when two individuals simply performed the last step of grooming, latching on their lips to the other's skin but having discarded the hygienic (and by now obsolete) function of grooming,” Lameira writes.

So, when we kiss each other, we're building and strengthening bonds with someone else, much like we once did through grooming rituals—only now, it's a quicker, more straightforward gesture.

As Sam, the piano player, sang in “Casablanca,” “You must remember this: a kiss is just a kiss,” but Lameira's paper shows that a kiss is much more than we could ever know. A kiss is a behavior that goes back millions of years, an example of the importance that social bonding plays among humans and other primates.

It’s interesting to learn where this behavior comes from. But, after reading this, it’s probably going to make kissing feel a bit more awkward when you consider that you are mimicking a behavior that was once used to remove bugs from your lover’s skin.

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Education

A school assignment asked for 3 benefits of slavery. This kid gave the only good answer.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

Trameka Brown-Berry/Facebook

A school assignment asked for 3 "good" reasons for slavery.

It's not uncommon for parents to puzzle over their kids' homework.

Sometimes, it's just been too long since they've done long division for them to be of any help. Or teaching methods have just changed too dramatically since they were in school.

And other times, kids bring home something truly inexplicable.

Trameka Brown-Berry was looking over her 4th-grade son Jerome's homework when her jaw hit the floor.

"Give 3 'good' reasons for slavery and 3 bad reasons," the prompt began.

You read that right. Good reasons ... FOR SLAVERY.

Lest anyone think there's no way a school would actually give an assignment like this, Brown-Berry posted photo proof to Facebook.

In the section reserved for "good reasons," (again, for slavery), Jerome wrote, "I feel there is no good reason for slavery thats why I did not write."

Yep. That about covers it.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

The assignment was real. In the year 2018. Unbelievable.

The shockingly offensive assignment deserved to be thrown in the trash. But young Jerome dutifully filled it out anyway.

His response was pretty much perfect.

We're a country founded on freedom of speech and debating ideas, which often leads us into situations where "both sides" are represented. But it can only go so far.

There's no meaningful dialogue to be had about the perceived merits of stripping human beings of their basic living rights. No one is required to make an effort to "understand the other side," when the other side is bigoted and hateful.

In a follow-up post, Brown-Berry writes that the school has since apologized for the assignment and committed to offering better diversity and sensitivity training for its teachers.

But what's done is done, and the incident illuminates the remarkable racial inequalities that still exist in our country. After all, Brown-Berry told the Chicago Tribune, "You wouldn't ask someone to list three good reasons for rape or three good reasons for the Holocaust."

At the very end of the assignment, Jerome brought it home with a bang: "I am proud to be black because we are strong and brave ... "

Good for Jerome for shutting down the thoughtless assignment with strength and amazing eloquence.

This article originally appeared on 01.12.18

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Modern Families

Do you have a "living room family" or a "bedroom family"?

This 'debate' is all the rage on TikTok. But one is not better than the other.

alexxx1915/TikTok

TikTok user alexxx1915 recently posted a short video with the caption: "I just learned the term 'living room family' and I never understood why my kids never played in their rooms when I always did as a kid."

She briefly shows her kids hanging out in the living room with their pet dog and some toys scattered around the floor, before panning to her own face and giving a sort of sentimental look. The simple, ten-second clip struck a huge nerve with parents, racking up over 25 million views and thousands of heartfelt comments.

@alexxx1915
#livingroomfamily #fypシ

What are "living room families" and "bedroom families"?

This idea has been going around for a while on social media.

Simply put, a living room family is a family that congregates in the living room, or any common space in the household. Kids play in the same space where the adults relax — and things are often messy, as a result. Everyone interacts with each other and spends lots of time together. Bedrooms are reserved mostly for sleeping and dressing.

A bedroom family, on the other hand, is where the kids spend more time in their rooms. They play there, watch TV, and maybe even eat meals. Typically, the main rooms of the house are kept neat and tidy — you won't find a lot of toys scattered about — and family time spent together is more structured and planned ahead rather than casual.

"Living room families" has become the latest aspirational term on TikTok. Everyone wants to be a living room family!

The implication of being a bedroom family, or having 'room kids', is that perhaps they don't feel safe or comfortable or even allowed to take up room in the rest of the house, or to be around the adults.

"I remember my brother coming round once and he just sat in silence while watching my kids play in livingroom. After a while he looked at me and said 'It's so nice that your kids want to be around you'" one commenter said on alexxx1915's video.

"I thought my kids hated their rooms 🥺 turns out they like me more" said another.

"You broke a generational curse. Good job mama!" said yet another.

There's so much that's great about having a family that lives out in the open — especially if you were raised feeling like you had to hide in your room.

In my own household, we're definitely a living room family. We're around each other constantly, and the house is often a mess because of it. Learning about this term makes me feel a little better that my kids want to be around us and feel comfortable enough to get their 'play mess' all over the living room.

The mess is a sign of the love and comfort we all share together.

But the big twist is that it's also perfectly fine if your kids — and you! — like a little more solitary time.

boy playing with toys on the floor Gavyn Alejandro/Unsplash

Being a 'bedroom family' is actually perfectly OK.

There's a similar discourse that took place last year about living room parents vs bedroom parents. The general consensus seemed to be that it was better to be a living room parent, who relaxed out in the open versus taking alone time behind closed doors.

But it really doesn't have to be one or the other, and neither is necessarily better.

Making your kids feel relegated to their room is, obviously, not great. It's not a good thing if they feel like they're not allowed to exist in and play in the rest of the house.

But if they just like hanging out in their room? Nothing wrong with that at all! And same goes for parents.

Alone time is important for parents and kids alike, and everyone needs different amounts of it to thrive.

Kids with certain special needs, like being on the autism spectrum, may be absolutely thrilled to spend lots of time in their rooms, for example.

So are you a living room family or a bedroom family? Turns out, it doesn't really matter, as long as your family loves each other and allows everyone to be exactly who they are.

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parents

10 Years Ago, Jon Stewart Went On An Epic Rant On CNN. It Never Gets Old.

It's hard to believe this was over a decade ago already. But it's still the best thing ever. And still 100% true.

Technology expert shares the one message that can get teens to rethink their screentime

“Social media is free because you pay for it with your time.”

How to get teens to reduce their screentime

How to reduce my screentime

The reason why humans started kissing each other is kinda gross but really interesting

Let's just say love has evolved.

Why do humans kiss?

Why do primates groom each other?

A school assignment asked for 3 benefits of slavery. This kid gave the only good answer.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

Trameka Brown-Berry was looking over her 4th-grade son Jerome's homework when her jaw hit the floor.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

The assignment was real. In the year 2018. Unbelievable.

The shockingly offensive assignment deserved to be thrown in the trash. But young Jerome dutifully filled it out anyway.

Do you have a "living room family" or a "bedroom family"?

This 'debate' is all the rage on TikTok. But one is not better than the other.

What are "living room families" and "bedroom families"?

"Living room families" has become the latest aspirational term on TikTok. Everyone wants to be a living room family!

But the big twist is that it's also perfectly fine if your kids — and you! — like a little more solitary time.

Woman describes how Gen X did Halloween in the 80s and it’s so accurate

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2-year-old steals phone at wedding dance and films the greatest video music of the year

Colin Farrell's finishes emotional marathon with friend who was told she'd never live to 40

Watch Lucille Ball repeatedly tell a host to take his hands off female audience members

10 Years Ago, Jon Stewart Went On An Epic Rant On CNN. It Never Gets Old.

It's hard to believe this was over a decade ago already. But it's still the best thing ever. And still 100% true.

“Social media is free because you pay for it with your time.”

How to get teens to reduce their screentime

How to reduce my screentime

Let's just say love has evolved.

Why do humans kiss?

Why do primates groom each other?

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

Trameka Brown-Berry was looking over her 4th-grade son Jerome's homework when her jaw hit the floor.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

The assignment was real. In the year 2018. Unbelievable.

The shockingly offensive assignment deserved to be thrown in the trash. But young Jerome dutifully filled it out anyway.

This 'debate' is all the rage on TikTok. But one is not better than the other.

What are "living room families" and "bedroom families"?

"Living room families" has become the latest aspirational term on TikTok. Everyone wants to be a living room family!

But the big twist is that it's also perfectly fine if your kids — and you! — like a little more solitary time.

The director with a cult following gets a tribute fit for guidance counselor office walls.