While we now have access to all the news around the world that we could ever want, it’s not always good for the heart and for our brains. We get so much bad and disturbing news that it can sometimes be hazardous for our health. While Google can’t really do anything about all the bad stuff happening globally, they’re now doing a sort of experiment by letting its Google Assistant bring good news intentionally to your devices with just one command.
All you have to say is “Hey Google, tell me something good” and you will receive a brief news summary about various people around the world who are trying to solve the problems within their communities and the world in general, one issue at a time. These are news items that you probably won’t read much about because of all the other issues that bigger news media choose to feature.
Google gives some examples of the kind of news you can expect from your Google Assistant, like how Georgia State University doubled their graduation rate and lessen the gap between black and white students or how Iceland is trying to lessen teen drinking by giving coupons for extracurricular activities for the kids. Reading about things like this will give us a breather from all the bad news we keep hearing about and also give us hope that there is still some good out there.
The stories will be coming from various media outlets and an organization called Solutions Journalism Network will be curating and summarizing it for you. This is a non-profit that wants to give emphasis on solutions journalism which is basically highlighting things that are solvable and also the idea that we can all do better. It’s not minimizing the problems of the world but it will give us a view into things that can still be saved.
The “tell me something good” feature is now available in the US but hopefully in other territories soon as well. You can use it on any Assistant-enabled device including smartphones, Google Home, and Smart Display.
SOURCE: Google
