ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Negative feedback

Hello there! Today we are going to talk about negative feedback, but before we get into what that means, we need to first understand what feedback is.

You know how when you do something, like draw a picture or sing a song, sometimes someone will tell you if they liked it or not? That is called feedback! It's like getting a report card if you were in school. It tells you how well you did and what you can do better next time.

Now, negative feedback is when someone tells you what you did wrong or what you can improve on. It's not always fun to hear because it means you didn't do everything right or perfect. But, it's important because it helps you get better at whatever you're doing.

In the same way, negative feedback is a part of many things, even our bodies. Our bodies have systems that work together to keep us healthy and when something is not working right, we get negative feedback! For example, if you touch something hot, your body's nerves will send a message to your brain that it's hot and to move your hand away—that's negative feedback telling you that it's not good.

So, basically, negative feedback is when someone or something tells you what you need to work on to get better. And even though it might not always feel good, it will help you become better at whatever you're doing.