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  1. #1
    dogmom is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default Interesting article about climate change and youth

    I must have read over 100 articles and studies out how social media is causing anxiety and destroying our kids. (Full disclosure, I’m not a huge fan of my kid hanging on TikTok either.) But I find it VERY telling that this is the first time I’ve heard or read of study taking about the effect of climate change on the social well being of our children. I heard it talked about on the NPR program On Being, which is a spiritual well being program in a low traffic Sunday am slot. The author was talking to the host and they were discussing how the world leadership response to climate change mirrors child abuse, since they are basically getting the message they and their future are not valued enough. I found it so interesting contrasting how much time we worry and talk about the internet and social media to our kids vs real response to climate change. I’m really trying to radically rethink how I plan to live my life now a ways, and I don’t mean getting my recycling done!

    They don’t have the link to this weeks program up yet, but here is the original study of 10,000 kids in Nature:
    https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02582-8

  2. #2
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    Interesting. Both of my boys (11 and 8) are VERY worried about climate change (neither have social media). Ds2 insists we need to get Teslas.
    DD (3/06)
    DS1 (7/09)
    DS2 (8/13)

  3. #3
    daisyd is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    Thanks for sharing.

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    Interesting indeed. DS1(16) is worried about climate change and how it will impact the future. He certainly understands the impact it will have on their generation.
    Mom to Two Wild and Crazy Boys and One Sweet Baby Girl

  5. #5
    gatorsmom is offline Pink Diamond level (15,000+ posts)
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    I haven't had a chance to read it yet but I think our family sees climate change a bit differently. As Catholics, we believe we are stewards of the earth. It's our responsibility to take care of the gifts and resources that God has created. Do we recycle? Yes, absolutely. We have a geothermal heat pump in our house for heating and cooling purposes which reduce our use of electricity and natural gas. We are careful to try to buy products that won't end up in a landfill in 5 years even if it means spending more money on them. We try to do what we can to take care of our earth.

    However, it's not our priority. It's not what we spend time worrying about. As Catholics, our biggest worry is doing the will of God first and foremost as defined by tradition and scripture. Because if we do that, all the other things we want for our earth and our lives will fall into place. It's a matter of faith. It's how I sleep at night and not worry about the poles melting and the coastlines flooding. It's just another way of looking at things.
    " I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent." Mahatma Gandhi

    "This is the ultimate weakness of violence: It multiplies evil and violence in the universe. It doesn't solve any problems." Martin Luther King, Jr.

  6. #6
    citymama is offline Pink Diamond level (15,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by dogmom View Post
    I must have read over 100 articles and studies out how social media is causing anxiety and destroying our kids. (Full disclosure, I’m not a huge fan of my kid hanging on TikTok either.) But I find it VERY telling that this is the first time I’ve heard or read of study taking about the effect of climate change on the social well being of our children. I heard it talked about on the NPR program On Being, which is a spiritual well being program in a low traffic Sunday am slot. The author was talking to the host and they were discussing how the world leadership response to climate change mirrors child abuse, since they are basically getting the message they and their future are not valued enough. I found it so interesting contrasting how much time we worry and talk about the internet and social media to our kids vs real response to climate change. I’m really trying to radically rethink how I plan to live my life now a ways, and I don’t mean getting my recycling done!

    They don’t have the link to this weeks program up yet, but here is the original study of 10,000 kids in Nature:
    https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02582-8
    Thank you for sharing. I agree.

    for Sandy Hook



  7. #7
    Liziz is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    This is very interesting, and while not specific to climate change, I have often over the course of the past few years wondered about how the choices and decisions made by "adults" is affecting our youth's perceptions. I unfortunately don't think climate change is the only place society is failing at not being forward thinking enough towards the next generation's future.

    I have major issues with a lot of the social media stuff these days too, and social media often absolutely highlights the complete worst in our youth -- but when I have the chance to interact with younger people in real life, I am usually so impressed by where their focus, passions, and ideas are. It actually makes me really hopeful for change in the future.
    Lizi

  8. #8
    dogmom is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by Liziz View Post
    This is very interesting, and while not specific to climate change, I have often over the course of the past few years wondered about how the choices and decisions made by "adults" is affecting our youth's perceptions. I unfortunately don't think climate change is the only place society is failing at not being forward thinking enough towards the next generation's future.

    I have major issues with a lot of the social media stuff these days too, and social media often absolutely highlights the complete worst in our youth -- but when I have the chance to interact with younger people in real life, I am usually so impressed by where their focus, passions, and ideas are. It actually makes me really hopeful for change in the future.
    I’m not sure if social media highlights the absolute worse in our youths or if the adult media coverage of social media highlights the absolute worse in our youths. Though social media my eldest got involved with a political campaign. Once the candidate dropped out the youth in the campaign started a non-partisan group to encourage youth involvement in politics. They held debates, events, outreach, all online, mostly vis discord servers. The way my youngest uses social media is to connect to youth in other countries that share interest with him. It basically was his social outlet for two years (started pre-pandemic) and was a very safe place for him. He also does a lot of creative stuff inspired via social media. I think a lot of younger people learn to use social media differently than we do. So I’m not sure if it’s this divide between IRL and not RL. The divide is not the same for Gen Z.

  9. #9
    dogmom is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by gatorsmom View Post
    I haven't had a chance to read it yet but I think our family sees climate change a bit differently. As Catholics, we believe we are stewards of the earth. It's our responsibility to take care of the gifts and resources that God has created. Do we recycle? Yes, absolutely. We have a geothermal heat pump in our house for heating and cooling purposes which reduce our use of electricity and natural gas. We are careful to try to buy products that won't end up in a landfill in 5 years even if it means spending more money on them. We try to do what we can to take care of our earth.

    However, it's not our priority. It's not what we spend time worrying about. As Catholics, our biggest worry is doing the will of God first and foremost as defined by tradition and scripture. Because if we do that, all the other things we want for our earth and our lives will fall into place. It's a matter of faith. It's how I sleep at night and not worry about the poles melting and the coastlines flooding. It's just another way of looking at things.
    Oh, I’m so glad you brought this up! This is a very interesting concept. I see some religious Christians using terms like stewards and some talk more about dominion over the natural world. (Or, why translation in religious literature matters.) So some might see the stewardship of earth and the present and coming human suffering from global warming as their primary driver in how to deal with this. Others like my step-sister, who is very evangelical Christian, see it more as humans have right to the earth and all it’s resources and one should only really be concerned with eternal life. She sees global warming, storms, disasters, etc., as God’s plan and any interference is wrong. I guess it’s like Christianity encompassing everything from vows of poverty to the prosperity doctrine. It’s really not that different from religion being used to justify colonial attitudes and policies which were horrendous to non-Christian peoples. Of course you can find many examples of bad scientific belief takes, like eugenics. Some humans will always find ways to justify their treatment of others to enrich themselves in some ways. It really does take a constant re-examining of ones assumptions and motives for doing things, even if we think we are doing good.

    I do think we need to be honest with ourselves about our relative ages in relationship to fallout. When I hear “in 2050” it’s hard not to think, well I’ll be dead or too old to care. My kids hear 2050 and probably think, wait I might just be starting my family or have kids then! So we have such different perspectives on this.

  10. #10
    Myira is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Very interesting and thought provoking. I always feel that our generation is somehow going to still escape the worse. I mean just like you wrote dogmom I cannot worry about 2050 and how much livable the planet will be if I’m thinking about myself. Who knows if I’ll even be alive or too old to care even if alive.
    Our kids generation will be first bearing the brunt of years of recklessness by previous generations and that is so so unfair.


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