By Alissa MacMillan
Q: I’ve read that climate anxiety is prevalent and wanted to ask what’s happening with younger people now. Some seem very concerned, others quite blasé. What’s going on and what is there to do?
A: It’s a great question because today’s youth will, of course, be the ones contending with future climate consequences. “Climate anxiety is very understandable,” says Dr. Patricia Frazer, a lecturer in psychology at Dublin Business School. “Nihilism is also very understandable.”
As an emerging area of research interest, climate anxiety is difficult to gauge in children because the way it manifests itself might not be obvious. “When you try to measure things like anxiety, it’s harder to measure in younger kids,” studies mostly done on adults or emerging adulthood. “Anxiety is rising but it fluctuates year on year,” Frazer notes, “and climate anxiety is not a distinct anxiety disorder.” So, worrying about the earth is much like worrying about anything else.
That being said, “as with many things, it’s probably best to focus on prevention and societal change rather than psychotherapy to treat anxiety,” suggests Frazer, although treatment should be sought if anxiety becomes unmanageable.
“If you focus on action, it’s helpful, both for the environment and personally.”
INVOLVE THE KIDS
Generally, children have a strong connection to the environment and a feeling that they are “part of the natural world rather than here to dominate it,” she says. “That’s more natural for children, it’s more immediate.” At the same time, “quite often, kids in general lack a sense of agency over their own environment and their own life.” Children are more supervised now than they’ve ever been, a tendency that may have consequences.
Research suggests kids in general have a lower sense of perceived behavioral control when it comes to things like recycling, thinking mom and dad are in charge of doing the bins – it’s not that they don’t care, it’s just that they don’t think it’s their job. A current movement, Let’s Grow, seeks to give children back some of their independence, “their freedom to make mistakes and do things for themselves.”
With this in mind, Frazer suggests encouraging a sense of agency in kids, focusing first on everyday life and then turning to the earth.
“You can’t talk about climate-conscious shopping if they’ve never been to a grocery shop,” says Frazer. Or, for example, with cooking, “even before you get to making more climate-conscious meals with the kids, you might start with making meals.” Once they get used to having some agency in the kitchen, then you can integrate talk of veggie cooking. It’s helpful for practical knowledge and the action eases feelings of anxiety and nihilism.
Frazer’s research background is in behavioral psychology, in particular reinforcements or “making changes to the environment to encourage behavior,” like offering paid bottle-deposits or curb-side recycling. Attitudes and social norms are important, she notes, “but there’s been a lot of policy attention, especially in the UK, on nudging,” or the idea that if you change the incentives or something practical in the environment, this changes behavior.
“Using an ‘us-versus-them’ or ‘baddies and goodies’ mentality, really isn’t helpful,” she adds. “We are all suboptimal in some things, we could all get better, and, in general, in psychology, guilt isn’t that helpful a state.”
FORMING POSITIVE ATTITUDES
She points to a distinction between attitude and action and the barriers between the two which can predict behavior. Attitude – for example, that I want to recycle – is a good predictor only when the practical option is there, like, for example, curbside collection. “We won’t go and do it personally, but if you have curbside recycling in place, attitude becomes a good predictor”; barriers to action – like the recycling centre is too far away – also predicting what we won’t do.
Specific and targeted messaging also works, like a sign by the bin that says recycling will help the earth, but, “if you go too far with the whole doomsday thing, it can be counterproductive.” As well, “information can help,” but it needs to be in the right context. “If the school gives a big lecture on recycling and they don’t have recycling bins, you’ve probably wasted your time.” More helpful would be “a bit of knowledge combined with the means to carry out the behavior.”
‘THE EXPERIENCE OF RESPONSIBILITY’
The home is a prime place for forming attitudes and practices, many parents saying their children are affecting their own eco-behaviours. But parents remain a primary model for kids, especially when it comes to important behaviours like transport use, what we eat, and waste and recycling. On this, Frazer suggests thinking practically. If you can, walk to school with your kids; if they are older, encourage them to walk to school themselves or with a buddy. If you live further and need to drive, she suggests you park and walk for 15 minutes.
“It’s the old adage, kids will do what you do,” she adds, noting that smart phone and device use is something for which parents need to “swallow the bitter pill,” as kids will follow their parents’ behavior. “The best thing we can do is turn off the device ourselves. There is an opportunity cost to being on your device. They are addictive and match very well with other addictive substances. They keep us from doing the hard things in life, like talking with teenagers.”
Frazer thinks this is all even more important than teaching our kids hard skills, which might not be what’s needed in 20- or 30-years’ time. Better yet, increase their sense of agency, instilling in them “the mindset to go off and help in the future,” learned through the little things.
“You are going to sort the rubbish, take the bins out, make dinner. It’s giving someone the experience of responsibility.” And alleviating a bit of climate anxiety along the way.
