Good news in December | GMX.AT

Good news in December

Less animal testing, an organization is campaigning for more friendliness and an initiative brings lonely people into society over the holidays – the good news of the month.

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The daily flood of negative news leaves many people frustrated, sad, angry or feeling powerless. Negative headlines are read more than positive reports – probably for an evolutionary biological reason: the human brain is nevertheless designed to protect us from danger. That's why it reacts particularly sensitively to scary reports and stores negative information more strongly.

But doomscrolling, including targeted and massive consumption of negative news, can be harmful to mental health, as numerous studies have shown. Positive information acts as a counterweight. You understand that there are also constructive LOsolutions for good coexistence and a better future. With that in mind: Here is the good news of the month.

Non-profit kindness organization

Whether on social media, at schools or in traffic – the tone has become harsher in many places. Friendly gestures not only have a positive effect on the recipients, but also on those who send them. as various studies show. Among other things, researchers have found that people who help others feel less stressed and their reward center in the brain is more active.

Greeting strangers on the street, offering another person a seat on the bus, giving way to a road user or offering help instead of passing by – the non-profit organization “Random Acts of Kindness Foundation” is committed to ensuring that kindness becomes the norm in everyday life. , RAK for short.

The organization provides free curricula for schools, homes and workplaces. These are intended to help people establish a benevolent and friendly atmosphere in their environment.

With their work, the “RAKtivists,” as they call themselves, want to inspire others to practice genuine kindness in everyday life and trigger a positive domino effect for a physically and mentally healthier society. Over 100,000 people in 89 countries have already joined the movement.

Less animal testing in Germany

1.46 million animals were transported in 2023 Animal testing used. 80 percent of the test animals were rodents, predominantly mice. The new laboratory animal statistics German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R)which belongs to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), shows: In 2023, around 15.6 percent fewer animals were transported Animal testing than in 2022. This means that the downward trend continues.

According to BfR President Professor Andreas Hensel The declining numbers affect almost all areas, both basic research and applied research. In addition, there is a historic low in severely stressful experiments.

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Die Organization “Doctors Against Animal Experiments”.“Note that an error has been identified since 2020, but this development can also be attributed to the strong reduction in so-called surplus animals that are killed due to genetic changes, age or illness.

But also required by law Animal testingFor example, for medical devices or pesticides, fewer tests were carried out on animals. According to “Doctors Against Animal testing“The development is also related to the fact that more and more reliable methods are being offered, such as computer-aided calculation models or tests with cell cultures, which can be transferred to humans and many more Animal testing make superfluous.

Initiative against loneliness during the holidays

Loneliness no longer predominantly affects older people, as it currently does Analyzes by the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) clarify. One in three people aged between 18 and 53 felt at least partially lonely. A striking number of young people feel a sense of loneliness even after the end of the corona pandemic.

Interesting: While men tend to feel emotionally lonely in the future, men tend to experience more social loneliness. They miss good friendships, nice neighbors, a solid social network.

Chronic loneliness can have many negative consequences for mental and physical health. In addition to sleep problems, the risk of addiction or coronary heart disease is also increased. Over the holidays Those affected often become particularly painfully aware of their loneliness. The Initiative”Nobody stays alone“ brings lonely people into company on Christmas and New Year's Eve.

The networking of people who are looking for a connection over the holidays and those who are ready to open their house takes place exclusively via Instagram and Facebook. According to Christian Fein, the founder of the initiative, several thousand people have already been brought together. Anyone who would like to offer a place, is hosting a public event or is looking for a location for the holidays can contact the volunteer placement assistance via Instagram or Facebook message.

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“This is how the editorial team works“Informs you what we want and what we report on, how we deal with errors and where our content comes from. When reporting, we adhere to the guidelines of the Journalism Trust Initiative.