Man Tired Of All Negative News From 2017 Posts The Most Positive Things That Happened This Year
Bad news sells. We all know that there is a negativity bias in the media, with things like polarizing politics, terrorism, crime and war being the headlines, while positive, feel-good stories usually get a patronizingly off-the-cuff mention at the end.
Is this an agenda of the media? Or merely a reflection of our preferences for bad news? Perhaps it’s an evolutionary hangover, in which we react the strongest to things that we perceive to threaten our survival. Either way, there are plenty of good news stories out there to restore your faith in the human race, you just have to look a little harder for them.
Helpfully, Twitter user Jacob Atkins decided to compile a short list of some of the great things we accomplished this year, positive and genuinely interesting achievements that you would struggle to locate in a news update dominated by war, terror, Trump, Brexit, North Korea and all the other critically important yet divisive and controversial issues that we love to spend our days arguing about.
While I am by no means suggesting that we ignore these things, perhaps a little balance in our news reporting would not go amiss. So take some time in your day to seek out the good news in our lives, our species and our planet, as Jacob has done. Because despite the doom and gloom we are continually bombarded with, there is so much to be grateful for and to celebrate. Scroll down below to check out Jacob’s list, and feel free to add your own in the comments!
378Kviews
Share on Facebook
If I could up-vote this 100 times, I would! THANK YOU ,Jacob, for giving the news a positive spin ,for a change!
I just really really hope that all these thing are in fact "news" and really the truth. What he is doing is awesome,, but don't see any links or credit given for what he's saying. As much as I wish I could with this guy, I can't believe these news stories just on his word alone : ( Time to google them I guess.
Load More Replies...
World is full of beautiful things, and I am so grateful for people like this who remind us on it.
The Iowa one is wonderful! The university built the kids hospital wing so it would overlook the football field. I've been there and it's very cool.
It's really cool to see! I went to a game there once and everyone stands up and waves. The kids look so happy and wave back! It's a really moving experience&
Load More Replies...
THESE ARE GREAT STORIES! They did get lost in the mad shuffle of 2017, but seeing them all together now helps me to end the year on a very positive, hopeful note! What a great post!
All of these are beautiful, through the clouds is a spectacular sunshine...
The world really needs more people like Jacob. The really sad thing is, I wasn't aware of ANY of these stories before reading this. Thanks, 21st century world, for making it seem like theres no positives left. Jacob- it may not seem like it, but you're doing truly great things, and I take off my hat to you.
My favourite was the second-last one, paying off tickets by donating canned goods to food banks. How cool is that? Paying off your ticket while helping people out.
This is wonderful! We should hear about these things in the wake of bad things happening to show that there is always hope!
The news should be news, both the good and bad news. I agree that hearing positive news is something we don't get enough of. However, it's important to be real about it. It is important to understand that the scope of the negative things happening now is absolutely unprecedented in all of the span of human existence. It is important to think positive, but not false positive. Some of these are not actually particularly happy stories. Great Barrier Reef: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/29/great-barrier-reef-scientists-identify-potential-life-support-system: "The longest and worst [bleaching incident] for the Great Barrier Reef was in 2016, when bleaching caused by climate change killed almost 25% of the reef." 25 PERCENT of the reef, which is the size of Italy.
"...this [repair] alone is not likely to be sufficient to ensure the longer-term viability of the Great Barrier as a whole and will need to be coupled with climate mitigation, local management and active management such as coral re-seeding.” Dec 11, 2017: "Great Barrier Reef will be dead by 2100, says David Attenborough". http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/great-barrier-reef-will-be-dead-by-2100-says-david-attenboroughs-blue-planet-ii-20171210-h026zv.html Amazon homeless shelter: https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/State-of-the-Homeless-2017.pdf: 2017: "New York City remains in the midst of the worst crisis of homelessness since the Great Depression, with more than 62,000 men, women, and children sleeping in shelters each night. " Moving one species off the endangered species list: March, 2017: http://time.com/4780721/endangered-species-day/: "The list of endangered species has more than doubled in the past two decades "
Load More Replies...
I loved this, thank you very much for finding these wonderful things. I hope you keep it up as this has just made my day so much better.
Thank you for this. Believe me, I'd much rather read this than the usual combination of misery, stupidity, cruelty and violence we get dished up. I'd read it every day. Thanks again.
They should make a newspaper with only positive news stories it be the best newspaper ever! 💜💙🧡🗞
Favorite out of these is probably the last one where the people wave to the kid's in hospital 🙋🏽💕😇
This is why I never watch the news, I happen to eant to hear good news! :O Thanks for posting. <3
Russell Howard in the UK has a tv program all about good news. Its funny too!! You guys in the US should check it out! It's Russell Howard's Good News.
THANKYOU for creating this. It has just made my day, and given me a smidge of hope for the human race. <3
good to hear some good news! A great way to start the new year on a positive note. Thanks!
Nancy7 - Wonderful....we all need to read about GOOD things that happen around the world...and feel good as well ...thanks for doing this!
Best thing I've read all year. I quit all social media this year because I couldn't take it anymore... this gives me hope for the future.
YEAH it´s true, I´m tired of all the negatvity in all the news, and the really good news go down or´re only mentioned "unter ferner liefen", as we say in Germany, means in the category "ran too (in he race)", we´ve actually had several positive news in 2017 too, good job, Jacob Atkins!!!
Wow, this is actually making feel better about my not so good year, how nice.
Lift up your day with this too: https://www.facebook.com/thegoodnewsnetwork/
This is beautiful! Sharing it! Thank you so much Jacob! Ur awesome! I think we should all try and close this year off by sharing positive things on our Social Media! Let's do this!! and put a Hashtag #Positive2017
I know it is hard to cite sources in a tweet, but I wish he would have tried. I would like to read more about these things.
Sorry for nitpicking, but since when do conservationists have to be convinced to plant trees?
I just learned 11 pausative great news stories I had no idea had happened in 2017! Thank you for sharing Jacob Atkin. I'd love the food bank food donation to come to our city we have a disgusting amount of homeless people here and not near enough to help everyone!!
what I mean by disgusting amount is that there should be no reason that over 100 families or people live along The Grand River when our city has so much to offer....where does it all go if these people dont even see any help at all?????
Load More Replies... 
Jacob, thank you soooo much for bringing all this positive news to light.
The reason why I don't watch TV anymore is to not pollute my day of negativities from news broadcast. This is a major indicative that there are so much positive things happening all around the world despite the negativities we hear mostly on TV.
Too many negatives outweigh these, agreeably, positives. POTUS for example.
I absolutely love these. I just hope that some of these things are not perceived as complete successes, recognising that work still needs to be done to make sure it gets even better.
https://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/06/tell-everyone-on-this-train-i-love-them/
https://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/12/i-wrote-this-song-after-hearing-the-news-about-the-2-children-from-oregon-video/
But I understand how you feel about the political exposure on this site. However, that isn't really relevant to this post
Load More Replies... Huh? I'm a Republican & I can't get enough of positive stories. There was no direct agenda here.
Load More Replies...
If I could up-vote this 100 times, I would! THANK YOU ,Jacob, for giving the news a positive spin ,for a change!
I just really really hope that all these thing are in fact "news" and really the truth. What he is doing is awesome,, but don't see any links or credit given for what he's saying. As much as I wish I could with this guy, I can't believe these news stories just on his word alone : ( Time to google them I guess.
Load More Replies... World is full of beautiful things, and I am so grateful for people like this who remind us on it.
The Iowa one is wonderful! The university built the kids hospital wing so it would overlook the football field. I've been there and it's very cool.
It's really cool to see! I went to a game there once and everyone stands up and waves. The kids look so happy and wave back! It's a really moving experience&
Load More Replies... THESE ARE GREAT STORIES! They did get lost in the mad shuffle of 2017, but seeing them all together now helps me to end the year on a very positive, hopeful note! What a great post!
All of these are beautiful, through the clouds is a spectacular sunshine...
The world really needs more people like Jacob. The really sad thing is, I wasn't aware of ANY of these stories before reading this. Thanks, 21st century world, for making it seem like theres no positives left. Jacob- it may not seem like it, but you're doing truly great things, and I take off my hat to you.
My favourite was the second-last one, paying off tickets by donating canned goods to food banks. How cool is that? Paying off your ticket while helping people out.
This is wonderful! We should hear about these things in the wake of bad things happening to show that there is always hope!
The news should be news, both the good and bad news. I agree that hearing positive news is something we don't get enough of. However, it's important to be real about it. It is important to understand that the scope of the negative things happening now is absolutely unprecedented in all of the span of human existence. It is important to think positive, but not false positive. Some of these are not actually particularly happy stories. Great Barrier Reef: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/29/great-barrier-reef-scientists-identify-potential-life-support-system: "The longest and worst [bleaching incident] for the Great Barrier Reef was in 2016, when bleaching caused by climate change killed almost 25% of the reef." 25 PERCENT of the reef, which is the size of Italy.
"...this [repair] alone is not likely to be sufficient to ensure the longer-term viability of the Great Barrier as a whole and will need to be coupled with climate mitigation, local management and active management such as coral re-seeding.” Dec 11, 2017: "Great Barrier Reef will be dead by 2100, says David Attenborough". http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/great-barrier-reef-will-be-dead-by-2100-says-david-attenboroughs-blue-planet-ii-20171210-h026zv.html Amazon homeless shelter: https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/State-of-the-Homeless-2017.pdf: 2017: "New York City remains in the midst of the worst crisis of homelessness since the Great Depression, with more than 62,000 men, women, and children sleeping in shelters each night. " Moving one species off the endangered species list: March, 2017: http://time.com/4780721/endangered-species-day/: "The list of endangered species has more than doubled in the past two decades "
Load More Replies... I loved this, thank you very much for finding these wonderful things. I hope you keep it up as this has just made my day so much better.
Thank you for this. Believe me, I'd much rather read this than the usual combination of misery, stupidity, cruelty and violence we get dished up. I'd read it every day. Thanks again.
They should make a newspaper with only positive news stories it be the best newspaper ever! 💜💙🧡🗞
Favorite out of these is probably the last one where the people wave to the kid's in hospital 🙋🏽💕😇
This is why I never watch the news, I happen to eant to hear good news! :O Thanks for posting. <3
Russell Howard in the UK has a tv program all about good news. Its funny too!! You guys in the US should check it out! It's Russell Howard's Good News.
THANKYOU for creating this. It has just made my day, and given me a smidge of hope for the human race. <3
good to hear some good news! A great way to start the new year on a positive note. Thanks!
Nancy7 - Wonderful....we all need to read about GOOD things that happen around the world...and feel good as well ...thanks for doing this!
Best thing I've read all year. I quit all social media this year because I couldn't take it anymore... this gives me hope for the future.
YEAH it´s true, I´m tired of all the negatvity in all the news, and the really good news go down or´re only mentioned "unter ferner liefen", as we say in Germany, means in the category "ran too (in he race)", we´ve actually had several positive news in 2017 too, good job, Jacob Atkins!!!
Wow, this is actually making feel better about my not so good year, how nice.
Lift up your day with this too: https://www.facebook.com/thegoodnewsnetwork/
This is beautiful! Sharing it! Thank you so much Jacob! Ur awesome! I think we should all try and close this year off by sharing positive things on our Social Media! Let's do this!! and put a Hashtag #Positive2017
I know it is hard to cite sources in a tweet, but I wish he would have tried. I would like to read more about these things.
Sorry for nitpicking, but since when do conservationists have to be convinced to plant trees?
I just learned 11 pausative great news stories I had no idea had happened in 2017! Thank you for sharing Jacob Atkin. I'd love the food bank food donation to come to our city we have a disgusting amount of homeless people here and not near enough to help everyone!!
what I mean by disgusting amount is that there should be no reason that over 100 families or people live along The Grand River when our city has so much to offer....where does it all go if these people dont even see any help at all?????
Load More Replies... Jacob, thank you soooo much for bringing all this positive news to light.
The reason why I don't watch TV anymore is to not pollute my day of negativities from news broadcast. This is a major indicative that there are so much positive things happening all around the world despite the negativities we hear mostly on TV.
Too many negatives outweigh these, agreeably, positives. POTUS for example.
I absolutely love these. I just hope that some of these things are not perceived as complete successes, recognising that work still needs to be done to make sure it gets even better.
https://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/06/tell-everyone-on-this-train-i-love-them/
https://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/12/i-wrote-this-song-after-hearing-the-news-about-the-2-children-from-oregon-video/
But I understand how you feel about the political exposure on this site. However, that isn't really relevant to this post
Load More Replies... Huh? I'm a Republican & I can't get enough of positive stories. There was no direct agenda here.
Load More Replies...
989
95