Let’s face it: 2020 turned out to be the cinematic equivalent of the movie Cats—an expensive, drawn‑out misadventure that most of us would rather forget. Yet, even in that bleak landscape, there were pockets of optimism that shone through like a lighthouse in a storm. Below, we tally the top 10 really positive developments that managed to sparkle amid the chaos.
Why We’re Highlighting the Top 10 Really Positive Trends
10 Pet Adoptions Have Increased Dramatically
COVID‑19 didn’t affect every creature equally. The surge of people staying home translated into a flood of empty rooms, which meant more households were ready to welcome a four‑legged companion. Shelters across the United States reported a dramatic uptick: in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the aptly named Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary logged a 30 % rise in adoptions since lockdowns began.
That boom wasn’t limited to America. Across Europe and the United Kingdom, shelters reported similar spikes, and Down Under, many Australian facilities emptied out entirely, spawning waiting lists that stretched for months. While the sudden demand left some prospective owners scrambling, the upside was clear—more dogs and cats found permanent families than ever before.
The demand grew so intense that even “imported” animals were being moved faster than usual. The Sato Project, which rescues stray dogs from Puerto Rico’s infamous Dead Dog Beach, accelerated its Freedom Flights, ferrying pups to the mainland United States where they quickly secured forever homes. (Sato is Spanish slang for “street dog,” by the way.) Meanwhile, the pet‑product industry experienced a surge, with sales of food, leashes, collars, and even novelty items like doggy diapers soaring as new owners stocked up.
9 Wild Animals Are Faring as Well as Domesticated Ones
The next time 2020 gets you down, remember the humpback whales off Alaska’s coast. Normally, a million‑plus tourists swarm the area each summer to watch those giants, but the pandemic emptied the crowds, granting the whales an unprecedented acoustic sanctuary. Researchers noted that the whales began singing more freely, producing feel‑good summer anthems thanks to the sudden quiet.
On land, many species seized the opportunity to roam beyond their traditional boundaries. In Japan’s Nara, sika deer ventured outside their usual parks, while in Oakland, California, wild turkeys strutted through urban green spaces. Jackals popped up in Tel Aviv, goats roamed the streets of Istanbul, and a sea lion—yes, a sea lion—was spotted lounging near Buenos Aires, all reveling in humanity’s temporary retreat.
8 Eloping Is Making a Comeback
One of the most noticeable shifts in 2020 was the rapid decline of traditional, large‑scale weddings. With health concerns looming, couples found a perfect excuse to ditch the costly, over‑produced ceremonies that often felt more like a financial burden than a celebration of love.
Research shows that many people view wedding invitations as mandatory tickets to an expensive affair. Even the bride and groom sometimes feel the pressure of the whole ordeal. The pandemic gave them permission to say, “No thanks, we’ll keep it intimate.” Some couples even swapped a grand ballroom for a backyard ceremony officiated by themselves, with only their dog in attendance and friends joining via FaceTime.
7 … And Divorces Are Rising, Too
From March through June 2020, divorce filings jumped 34 % over the same period in 2019. While a separation isn’t anyone’s idea of a celebration, the pandemic acted as a catalyst, exposing cracks in many marriages that had long been hidden beneath the hustle of daily life.
Extended confinement forced couples to confront incompatibilities head‑on, without the usual buffers of work, friends, and extracurricular activities. For many, this meant realizing that staying together out of a sense of duty was doing more harm than good. Experts point out that while the spike in divorces sounds grim, it may actually spare people from years of dissatisfaction.
Children are often a concern in these scenarios. Data shows that roughly 45 % of divorcing couples had kids under 18. Yet, psychologists argue that remaining in an unhealthy marriage for the sake of children can be more damaging than a well‑handled separation.
6 Mother Nature Is Getting a Much‑Needed Respite
Mother Nature finally got a breather after years of relentless human pressure. With travel grounded, factories idle, and traffic at a standstill, the planet experienced a dramatic improvement in air quality, cleaner waterways, and reduced noise pollution.
The World Health Organization estimates that about three million deaths each year stem from air‑pollution‑related illnesses. In 2020, that number dipped as cities worldwide reported clearer skies and healthier atmospheres. Satellite data showed a noticeable decline in nitrogen dioxide levels over major urban centers.
Rivers that had been choked with industrial runoff began to recover, and wildlife reclaimed spaces previously dominated by humans. The unexpected environmental respite highlighted how quickly the Earth can heal when given a chance.
5 Real Estate Prices Are Soaring
Unlike the mid‑2000s housing bubble that burst spectacularly, the 2020 price surge appears rooted in classic supply‑and‑demand dynamics. As remote work became the norm, many affluent city dwellers fled crowded metros for suburban havens, driving up home values in places like New Jersey, the Bay Area, and beyond.
Take East Orange, New Jersey, for example. A modest $285 k listing attracted 24 offers and ultimately sold for well over $300 k. Similar trends unfolded in Denver, Chicago, Houston, and even overseas in London, Paris, and Tokyo, where suburban neighborhoods saw unprecedented demand.
Curiously, this bubble carried a Robin‑hood‑like twist: middle‑class families who previously struggled to build equity found themselves sitting on unexpectedly valuable property, thanks to the influx of wealthier buyers willing to pay premiums for space and safety.
4 We’ve Proven Working From Home Works
Commuters who once dreaded hour‑long drives suddenly discovered the perks of logging in from their kitchen table. Prior to the pandemic, many managers hesitated to grant remote work, fearing slacking. The crisis forced a massive, involuntary experiment, and the results have been largely positive.
Companies reported higher meeting attendance, increased managerial attentiveness, and surprisingly, a boost in overall productivity. Studies revealed that remote employees reclaimed roughly 1.4 workdays per month by eliminating commute time, translating into tangible output gains.
3 We’re Reading More Books
Lockdowns turned out to be a boon for bibliophiles. A survey of 1,000 British adults showed that weekly reading time jumped from an average of 3½ hours to about six hours, with 41 % saying they read more and only 10 % reading less.
People cited extra free time and the desire for an escape from the crisis as primary motivators. Crime thrillers and mystery novels surged in popularity, overtaking dystopian and pandemic‑related nonfiction. Book sales across genres—including survival guides and classic literature—experienced noticeable lifts, and children’s fiction saw a 65 % spike during the early weeks of lockdown.
2 2020 Has Prioritized Facts Over Feelings
One of the most striking cultural shifts in 2020 was the move away from overly‑coddled, feel‑good narratives toward a hard‑nosed focus on facts, data, and self‑preservation. The pandemic forced many to set aside safe‑space rhetoric and confront the stark reality of a deadly virus.
People who once might have shrugged off mask‑wearing or social distancing found themselves compelled to adopt these measures, driven by the sobering statistics—over one million global deaths at the time of writing. The collective experience stripped away many of the “trigger warnings” that had become commonplace, replacing them with genuine, life‑saving precautions.
1 Medical Science Is Meeting the Moment
The fastest vaccine development ever recorded was four years for mumps. Yet, in under half that time, scientists raced toward a COVID‑19 vaccine, marking one of the most impressive feats in medical history.
While a vaccine wasn’t on store shelves yet, several pharmaceutical giants entered Phase III trials, the final stage of large‑scale testing. Johnson & Johnson, for instance, pursued a single‑dose formulation that doesn’t require ultra‑cold storage, simplifying distribution logistics.
Industry leaders retooled factories, invested billions, and prepared to churn out billions of doses the moment regulatory bodies gave the green light. Even companies previously tarnished by scandals, like Purdue Pharma, seemed to rally responsibly, underscoring a renewed commitment to public health.