Our top stories on the Goats and Soda blog in 2021 are mostly about the pandemic. But that’s not the only topic that makes readers click.
Even as the world was worried about COVID-19, people spent their time on other topics.
They definitely want advice on how to get kids to help with the housework. It’s one of our top stories of the year.
They read articles about other worrisome diseases – like the Nipah virus and cancer (and the role alcohol plays in the cause).
And they want to be entertained. Readers flock to our story about K-pop supergroup BTS speaking at the United Nations General Assembly and our commentary on the Netflix movie White Tiger.
From 321 global health and development stories posted on our blog in 2021, here are our 9 most popular stories Not pandemic, ranked by pageviews.
Are we raising bossy, unhelpful kids? Here is the fix
In some cultures, children often roll their eyes when asked to do chores. In others, they will join without being asked. Researchers have identified two main methods for raising productive children. Published March 5, 2021
Our reporter Michaeleen Doucleff’s daughter, Rosy, was 2 years old, when she made the dishes voluntarily. As Doucleff reports, letting her participate in the household chores has resulted in the kitchen being flooded and dishes damaged. But Rosy is still enthusiastic to help.
Michaeleen Doucleff / NPR
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Michaeleen Doucleff / NPR
Our reporter Michaeleen Doucleff’s daughter, Rosy, was 2 years old, when she made the dishes voluntarily. As Doucleff reports, letting her participate in the household chores has resulted in the kitchen being flooded and dishes damaged. But Rosy is still enthusiastic to help.
Michaeleen Doucleff / NPR
New research says alcohol use was linked to more than 740,000 cases of cancer last year
Most people don’t realize that drinking alcohol can cause cancer. A report in Lancet Oncology shows how big the risk factors are for cancers of the esophagus, mouth, larynx, colon, rectum, liver, and breast cancer. Published July 16, 2021
At least 4% of esophageal, oral, larynx, colon, rectal, liver and breast cancers will be diagnosed worldwide by 2020, or 741,300 people, according to a new study. It could be due to drinking, according to a new study.
markhanna / Getty Images / Room RF
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markhanna / Getty Images / Room RF
At least 4% of esophageal, oral, larynx, colon, rectal, liver and breast cancers will be diagnosed worldwide by 2020, or 741,300 people, according to a new study. It could be due to drinking, according to a new study.
markhanna / Getty Images / Room RF
Why the world should worry about India’s Nipah virus outbreak
A case of the virus in September claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy, raising fears of a new outbreak in India. Researchers fear that the deadly disease also has the potential to cause a global outbreak. Published September 12, 2021
A road blockade was set up during the Nipah virus outbreak in the southern Indian state of Kerala in September.
CK Thanseer / DeFodi images via Getty Images
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CK Thanseer / DeFodi images via Getty Images
A road blockade was set up during the Nipah virus outbreak in the southern Indian state of Kerala in September.
CK Thanseer / DeFodi images via Getty Images
Why South Africa banned alcohol – and what happens next
Hopefully if people don’t drink, they won’t spread the coronavirus. There are unforeseen benefits to the ban, which ends in March – and negative effects as well. Published April 16, 2021
A liquor store in Newtown, Johannesburg, closed during the country’s ban on alcohol. Photo taken from December 29, 2020.
Phill Magakoe / AFP via Getty Images
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Phill Magakoe / AFP via Getty Images
A liquor store in Newtown, Johannesburg, closed during the country’s ban on alcohol. Photo taken from December 29, 2020.
Phill Magakoe / AFP via Getty Images
She owes the big environmental prize to goats that eat plastic bags
The demise of bag-using herbivores prompted Gloria Majiga-Kamoto to push Malawi to introduce a ban on single-use thin plastics. Her activism earned her the 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize. Published June 23, 2021
Gloria Majiga-Kamoto, an activist from Malawi, is one of six recipients of the 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize. She is credited with implementing Malawi’s ban on thin plastics.
Goldman Environmental Award
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Goldman Environmental Award
Research sheds new light on what is killing young people, especially boys and young adults
Globally, boys and men accounted for two-thirds of all youth deaths in 2019. A new report suggests so many deaths in this “abandoned” age group could prevent preventable. Published November 19, 2021
Two boys stand at the edge of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in July. One study found that boys and men accounted for two-thirds of all youth deaths in 2019.
Kazi Salahuddin Razu / NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Kazi Salahuddin Razu / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Two boys stand at the edge of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in July. One study found that boys and men accounted for two-thirds of all youth deaths in 2019.
Kazi Salahuddin Razu / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Malala Yousafzai’s ‘British Vogue’ interview sparks fury in her native Pakistan
The Nobel Peace Prize winner posed for the cover and spoke openly in an interview. One of her comments about marriage spurred positive reactions on social media in her hometown. (Even though, she has married in November!) Published June 4, 2021
Malala Yousafzai is the subject of the cover story in the new issue of British Vogue. One of her comments about the marriage caused outrage on social media in Pakistan.
Nick Knight
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Nick Knight
Malala Yousafzai is the subject of the cover story in the new issue of British Vogue. One of her comments about the marriage caused outrage on social media in Pakistan.
Nick Knight
BTS speaks at UNGA. And that wasn’t the only surprise at the UN event
The arrival of the popular boy band from South Korea was one of many unexpected moments at the United Nations General Assembly – everything from the UN’s TikTok to a groundbreaking food summit. Published September 21, 2021
V (from left), Suga and Jin of BTS at the launch of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. The popular boy band from South Korea sang (in a performance video that has been viewed more than 1 million times online) and gave a speech.
John Angelillo / Pool / AFP via Getty Images
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John Angelillo / Pool / AFP via Getty Images
V (from left), Suga and Jin of BTS at the launch of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. The popular boy band from South Korea sang (in a performance video that has been viewed more than 1 million times online) and gave a speech.
John Angelillo / Pool / AFP via Getty Images
What do Indians who know poverty think about Netflix’s ‘The White Tiger’?
The film, based on an award-winning novel, follows the unlikely journey of a poor villager in search of riches. Does it hold true for those who know what poverty is like in India? Published January 29, 2021
