‘Happy Barometer’ Monitors the Mood of a Gloomy City

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Deborah Harrison / Getty Images

In a novel effort to rank residents’ collective feelings of well-being each day, the mayor of Lithuania’s capital Vilnius plans to recruit locals to report their mood via cellphone. Residents will rank their happiness on a scale of one to 10 and submit that number online, according to Reuters. The scores will be averaged, then broadcast on a giant screen on the city’s town hall.

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“This barometer is a great tool for politicians,” mayor Arturas Zuokas told Reuters. “If we take a decision and see a sharp fall in the mood of the city, then we know we have done something horribly wrong.”

In a recent happiness report, Lithuania ranked among the world’s 10 least happy countries. Perhaps this new initiative could help keep better track of how residents are feeling, and maybe even help spark a few smiles.

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