Getting old is something that everyone worries about — and if you're going, "Oh, not me, I'm super at one with my Earthly form and whatever it has in store for me!" then get the hell out of here you lying hippie.
However, hippies aside (which makes me sound like a '70s cop), one dad has been shocking the internet with his amazing transition over the years.
Dr. Couros is a professor of educational technology and media at the University of Regina in Canada. However, he became something of a viral sensation when he uploaded three photos of him and his eldest daughter taken in the years 2007, 2014, and 2019.
The photos were not only fantastically wholesome, but also attracted attention for the dad's casual manner of seeming to get younger and more handsome over time.
The first photo from 2007 shows Dr. Couros and his eldest daughter sat side-by-side on their MacBooks.
In a world where the next beauty fad is just one mouse-scroll away, people were curious about Dr. Couros' secret. And, the reveal that he had four children simply meant people had more questions!
After all, being a parent can be like being president of the US, causing you to rapidly age and leaving you haggard and hopefully, but not necessarily, enriched at the end of it all.
The black t-shirt and jeans is a timeless dad aesthetic. Dr. Couros also seems to have lost weight and had a haircut in the photo.
However, it is the transition into the final photo which sent the commenters crazy.
The 2019 model of Dr. Couros sees him sporting a trimmed beard and slight fade, albeit still rocking the classic black t-shirt and jeans.
Naturally, that inspired plenty of calls for the doctor to reveal his access to the fountain of youth for public consumption. Also, is it only me that is getting robust Steve Carrell vibes from the 2019 edition of Dr. Couros?
Dr. Couros's work as a professor is specifically concerned with social media — so it's probably no accident he knows how to make a wonderfully wholesome series of viral images!
In an interview with Bored Panda, Dr. Couros explained the relationship between his work and the importance of his family to him:
"Where these roles as a parent and as a researcher overlap, I've dedicated the last decade or so finding ways to demonstrate how technology can be used as a positive force in our world."
"Whether it's the passing of time or the changing relationships we have with our children," he continued, "these are important themes to give us pause in our busy lives."
"I'll attribute some of this perception to better angles and posture in the later photos. But, I've also made some definite changes in my lifestyle."
"I hit the gym 4-7 times a week (depending on how busy I am), and I eat much better than I used to: way fewer carbs and more healthy fats and protein," he explains, "and, I’ve really tried to reduce my stress levels. It's easy to binge eat when we're stressed, and that was certainly an ongoing problem for me."
"I am fortunate enough to talk to groups of parents across the globe to discuss the ins and outs of raising parents in the digital age.
"Connection is the term I use over and over. Connection can be about playing with our children, laughing with them, or enjoying time over a good meal."
"It can be connecting with them by posting a photo with them like I just did," he continued. "It's about keeping those connections strong — knowing what's happening in their lives (both online and offline) and having a willingness to be part of their world in the ways they'd like you and allow you to be."
Social networking, particularly in recent years, has received primarily negative coverage. With more people using the media form for negative ends, it is refreshing to see someone such as Dr. Couros figuring out ways to connect with children in an unavoidably growing digital age, while also valuing the importance of reality.
It can feel like the right thing to do is to ban kids from technology, and there is a growing portion of people doing that. So, it is interesting to see someone exploring the potential benefits in moderation to hopefully useful ends.
Not only are the pictures stupendously wholesome, but Dr. Couros' words and passion regarding his family make the emotional weight behind the images even more important.
It can feel like we are drifting further apart from each other nowadays, and while social media can be a truly wonderful thing for connecting us with family members and friends miles away and finding hilarious articles, the importance of remembering who we are sat next to is also crucial.
h/t: Bored Panda
