LONDON (WKRC) - McDonald's dropped the smile from its Happy Meals.
For the first time in history, McDonald's removed the iconic smile from its Happy Meals across the United Kingdom in a move to spotlight Mental Health Awareness Week, which is observed from May 13 to May 19.
The company uploaded a video explaining the move to the official McDonald's UK YouTube channel.
McDonald's wrote that it wants to communicate to children that "it's okay not to be happy all the time." The move follows research commissioned by McDonald's that revealed that nearly half (48%) of children in the United Kingdom felt they had to be happy all the time, even if they were not.
McDonald's said that it hoped the move would "encourage parents to talk to their children about how they are feeling."
The Happy Meals also includes a sticker sheet featuring a variety of emotions, which will allow children to illustrate how they are feeling. McDonald's will use those Happy Meals in the United Kingdom nationwide, with stickers available at select locations during Mental Health Awareness Week.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or struggling, you can call 988 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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