smiling

7 Stories

As Japan Drops Masks, Smile Coaching Booms

Tutors are teaching people how to smile again to improve confidence and socialization

(Newser) - After three years hidden behind face masks, some Japanese people have developed a "complex" about their smiles and are willing to pay big money to fix it. "Smile coaches" are offering "smile education" to help people relearn to smile without looking awkward. And no, "I'm...

Here's a Reason Not to Smile
Here's a
Reason
Not to Smile 
new study

Here's a Reason Not to Smile

It makes you look older, a study finds

(Newser) - Poker-faced celebs like Victoria Beckham may have figured this out already: smiling makes you look older. A new study out of Canada claims that contrary to the popular belief that a happy grin is a sign of "positive values and youth," researchers found that flashing those pearly whites...

Smiles Really Are Contagious
 Smiles Really Are Contagious 
NEW STUDY

Smiles Really Are Contagious

...and so are frowns

(Newser) - Smiles—and frowns—are so contagious that they can jump from person to person in a fraction of a second, according to researchers studying the human brain's amazing ability to read expressions. In a paper published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences , researchers say that when we see...

Researchers Say They Know Why Babies Smile
Researchers Say They Know Why Babies Smile
in case you missed it

Researchers Say They Know Why Babies Smile

To get mom to smile back

(Newser) - Do you ever wonder what's going through your baby's mind when she smiles at you? Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, think they know. Their study, published in PLOS ONE , suggests that babies who are smiling are attempting to make whomever they're interacting with smile...

Forcing a Smile Helps You Relax
 Forcing a Smile 
 Helps You Relax 
in case you missed it

Forcing a Smile Helps You Relax

New study finds that it can decrease stress

(Newser) - Stressed? Try forcing a smile. It may seem weird, but a new study finds that it could actually help you relax, the Atlantic reports. Researchers, using chopsticks, manipulated the faces of 169 participants into either a neutral expression, a standard smile (only affects muscles around the mouth), or a Duchenne...

Smile More, Live Longer
 Smile More, Live Longer 

Smile More, Live Longer

A happy face prolongs your life: Scientists

(Newser) - Scientists claim there's a new reason to put on a happy face: People who smile more aren't just more stable, happier in their marriages, and better at getting along with others—they also live longer. Researchers compared photos of 230 professional baseball players who started their careers before 1950 and...

DMVs: Please Stop Smiling
 DMVs: Please Stop Smiling 

DMVs: Please Stop Smiling

(Newser) - Four states are demanding that motorists stop saying cheese when they get their driver's license photo, and more may follow suit, reports USA Today. It's not the grinch patrol. Smiles can interfere with technology used to make sure people don't apply for illegal licenses, say officials in Arkansas, Indiana, Nevada,...

7 Stories