2014-04-16
I'm going to say something controversial in today's social media: The world is a great place. In fact, it's a better place than it's ever been before and only getting better. Let's talk about some awesome things going on.
- Since 1975, world illiteracy has been cut in half, from about 40% to 20%. It's projected to drop to 15% by next year. 1
- Death from Malaria has dropped by 49% in Africa and 42% worldwide in the last decade. 2
- The average IQ in the US has risen by 3 points each decade since the 1930s. 3
- Every statistic around racism (support for interracial marriage, opposition to segregation, etc) has dramatically improved year after year. 4
- There's less violence now than at any point in human history. 5
- Humans are living longer than they ever have before -- girls born after the year 2000 are more likely than not to live to 100 years old! 6
- Poverty around the world has dropped by a massive amount. From 25% in the US in 1959 to 10-12% now. 7 Global poverty is down 50% in just the last 20 years. 8
- In the last two decades, 2 billion people gained access to clean water. This dramatically lowered mortality rates and increased the quality of life for nearly 30% of the population. 9
- From 2000-2012, Internet access went from 5% to 35%. That's an increase of 566%. 10
- With that connectivity to the Internet, students around the world now have access to the likes of Khan Academy and Udacity, providing everything from basic education in arithmetic and math, to complete computer science Masters programs. And all of it is free.
- With Kiva, you can lend money directly to people who need it to buy inventory for their stores, materials for buildings, and many other things. You can directly help make others' lives better. You can do it right now. Seriously, go.
- With Watsi, you can fund medical treatments for those who can't afford it. You could save a life. Consider a monthly donation.
And you know what? This is only the tip of the iceberg. In nearly every way you can imagine, the world is getting better. There are problems, but they're just that: problems. And every problem has a solution.
So next time you think "the world is really going downhill," stop and think about whether that's true, or whether you're simply seeing the bad and blocking out the good. The world is a great place; let's make it even better.
Happy Hacking,
- Cody Brocious (Daeken)