The negative impact of bedtime smartphone usage on sleep quality is well-documented. But beyond avoiding your screen directly before dozing off (easier said than done, we know), there are some ways to improve your snooze by actually leveraging the devices. From scheduling reminders to silencing notifications and playing soothing music, here’s how you can use your iPhone or Android to your benefit before bed.
In a positive turn of events, it’s getting less cool for content creators to share videos of shopping hauls and more cool to encourage followers to save money and practice sustainability. The shift is an offshoot of the de-influencing movement, and proponents are calling it “underconsumption core.” In one recent viral video, a young woman shows off the worn-in sneakers she’s sported every day for the past two years. In another, a TikTok user shares that some of her walls are still blank because she’s taking her time and buying decor secondhand rather than “running to fill the space with whatever is trendy at Target.” The trend is a response to some of the challenging issues many young people feel burdened by, like student debt, inflation, and climate change, as well as the unrealistic expectations that social media often sets. “I think it’s really refreshing to see this new takeover of more relatable content,” 24-year-old freelance graphic designer Meghan Pexton told The New York Times, adding: “We need to make a shift in who we’re following. We are in control of our algorithm.”
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Boxer Cindy Ngamba shattered a glass ceiling for the International Olympic Committee’s Refugee Olympic Team yesterday: securing their first medal at any Olympic Games since the team’s formation in 2016. Last Wednesday, the 25-year-old made a huge crack in that glass ceiling as the first member of the team to advance to the quarterfinals. She secured a 3-2 split decision victory against Canada’s Tammara Thibeault in a highly competitive women’s boxing match, in which Thibeault was favored to win. Ngamba’s triumph immediately rippled throughout the refugee community, with a video of teammate Amir Ansari’s live reaction embodying the emotion and significance of the moment. Following that history-making win, all eyes were on Ngamba going into her highly publicized Sunday quarterfinals match against France’s Davina Michel, the heavily favored hometown hero. And in a performance reflective of her lifetime of defying expectations and overcoming seemingly insurmountable barriers, Ngamba left the ring a champion, to rapturous global applause. As reported by France 24, boxing issues bronze medals for losing semifinalists, meaning Ngamba is guaranteed a medal in the women’s 75 kg. She will compete next on Thursday. Meet the Cameroon native and read about her inspiring story of resilience.
Environment
UK Festival Raises Awareness for Nature With Incredible Forest Concerts
Courtesy of Forestry England
For over two decades, music fans and nature lovers have been convening in England’s scenic woodlands to dance and rock out while helping protect trees. Called Forest Live, the annual outdoor event comprised six festivals this June and July, with performances from Sting, Van Morrison, The Corrs, Anne-Marie, and more. “It’s one of the most unique concert experiences it’s possible to have here,” Rhodri Jones tells Nice News of the festival, which launched in 2001. Jones is national events program manager for Forestry England, the government agency that presents Forest Live. “The venues are deep in the heart of our forest sites across the country,” he explains. “You are disconnected from the noise and distractions of the modern world and transported to a beautiful woodland setting with amazing artists, incredible nature, and thousands of other like-minded concertgoers.” The live music series has three main goals: creating an unforgettable concert experience, raising awareness for the protection and preservation of the 1,500 forests that Forestry England is custodian of, and introducing newcomers to the picturesque spaces.
In Other News
For the first time, a heart made from titanium was successfully implanted in a patient, marking a medical milestone.
One of the “rarest animals on Earth” was born at the U.K.’s Chester Zoo.See the adorable Persian onager with his mom and learn the meaning of his name.
Find Your Park For all our Nice News adventurers out there, Find Your Park is an amazing resource for locating a park (like New Mexico’s White Sands National Park, pictured above) based on the activity you’re looking to do — from hiking to birdwatching, swimming, picnicking, camping, and more. Simply input the activity and your state, or take the Find Your Park quiz for a more personalized recommendation. — Natalie Stone, Managing Editor
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Inspiring Story
A teacher’s enduring impact
As a fifth grader, Ricky Latimore Jr. looked up to his “superhero” teacher, Andrea Dowdy. “I was bullied, I was picked on … but there was one place where I was protected and that was in Miss Dowdy’s classroom,” he said. Fast forward 24 years, the pair reunited in a classroom — but this time, Dowdy was helping train Latimore to be an educator, just like her. “Standing before her as a 34-year-old man, I felt fortified by the profound influence this angel of a teacher had on me all those years ago,” Latimore shared. Watch the tearful reunion.
Have you seen this year’s Olympic cauldron? Each night of the Games, crowds gather to watch the flame-free, nearly 100-foot-tall hot air balloon rise into the night sky. It’s a change from previous cauldrons, which have used real fire rather than electricity and have remained firmly on the ground. The innovative structure, designed by Mathieu Lehanneur, has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response and even calls to make it a permanent attraction — surprising the designer himself. “It’s quite rare that all the feedback I received that [French] people said we are super proud of it and we want to keep it,” he told NPR. In more Olympic news, today’s events to watch include the men’s parallel bars final and men’s pole vault final, which could end in a world record for Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis.
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