Eco-anxiety and Educational-Awareness
This post was written by a student. It has not been fact checked or edited.
Eco-anxiety is overwhelming stress and it is based on the current situation of the environment and fear about the future consequences for climate change. Extreme weather conditions, deforestation, Loss of biodiversity and less awareness are the main causes of Eco-anxiety.
Eco-anxiety affects mental health like depression, hopelessness and loss of motivation as well as it also affects physical health especially at the young age. According to research, after the 2010 floods in Pakistan 73% individuals exhibited post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who were under the age of 10 to 19. So, in my opinion we should focus on this sensitive issue through different steps to help our young generation.
EDUCATION AND AWARENESS
A school is a place where a person built his/her personality and set targets of the future. So in my opinion, we should educate our generation about eco-anxiety effects and how to overcome it like it should be part of our course in schools. Because schools play an important role in preparing a generation. So different Platforms can also play a vital role to highlight its importance and every student has access to reach and gain awareness and share their ideas like availability of online awareness sessions and access to participate in it. Moreover we should make committees at schools which specially work on eco-anxiety. They can work on open discussion, to promote mental health support, and competition to give ideas to overcome eco-anxiety. When we start it at each school level then our students would be able to think to overcome it at an individual level too. This will cover the huge gap of generation which is affected. We can cover most areas like counselling, think of ideas to overcome it, and awareness through this initiative at school level.
Comments (5)
I disagree because... we don't actually need to be educated to make an impact. The only thing that really matters is awareness and understanding.
People who are not educated can simply be told what to do, to impact on the society. The only situations that actually play an immersive role in the eco-anxiety crisis is awareness. Someone who doesn't know cannot do anything whereas someone who knows have 3 possible options and these options are later influenced by personal feelings.
What I think is that educated people should put in more effort than those who are not that educated.
THANKYOU.
I'm not sure about this because if we are able to be taught about climate change in schools, we will have eco anxiety because we know how to stop it and also think of ways to stop climate change. I am also not in agreement with you on this point you have stated about educated people putting more effort in stopping climate change because not everyone in the world is educated, but we all have the ability to learn and adapt to changes, if stopping climate change is restricted to only the educated, we will only but become slower in stopping climate change and go backwards in stopping it rather than forward, but if everyone contributes greatly, we can be able to stop climate change because we all are contributing and not leaving all the work to a group of people or fraction of the world.
THANK YOU.
I think we need to take more care about eco-anxiety as the media and the news feed youth with information which is over dramatic in so may ways and that is not helping eco-anxiety at all
I agree because... The media informs people about what is happening in the local areas. they inform them about waysnto reduce global warming and help reduce climate crisis.
The constant worry about the ecosystem doesn't make it any bette,r so I feel instead of spreading bad information we should spread solutions.
Hello, there.
I totally agree with you,reliable_robin. Eco-anxiety is a very complex issue in the world and climate change can create terrible situations in the future. Man-made activities causes are damaging the balance of the environment and the climate is constantly changing. For example - indiscriminate cutting of trees, environmental pollution, increase in the use of fossil fuels, etc. If it continues in this way, then the world will be destroyed and there will be a threat of extinction of human existence.
Educational institutions will play an important role in curing the eco-anxiety. Educational institutions are a place where every student is made a better citizen and sets goals for the development of the country. Teachers in educational institutions will inform students about climate change. As a result, students will be able to take small steps to combat climate change from a young age. Children have innovative and creative intelligence, which can play a role in addressing climate change. Educational institutions should organize various quiz competitions, debates, seminars, community building etc. on climate change and eco concerns. These will make students aware of eco concerns and climate change. Also, students can make many ignorant people (who are not aware of climate) aware about it. I think that in this way, every educational institution can advance the young generation to fight climate change.
Thanks a lot.
Hello reliable_robin,
I totally agree with your idea and eco anxiety and educational awareness is an really great topic. So, as you mentioned eco-anxiety is overwhelming stress and it is based on the current situation of the environment and fear about the future consequences for climate change. Generally, eco-anxiety is not that bad and it shows how much you care about the world or your environment. If educational awareness was increased about these eco-anxiety, then it can help empower individuals to take action and make more sustainable choice for the planet.
Thank you!
I agree because if we are able to discuss eco anxiety in our schools as courses we can be able to know more about climate change and how to stop it. Think about how the world would be if this actually was a course in schools, think about employment opportunities that can also be made like teaching, where we can reduce the idleness level in individuals. As we are currently in the world, we are gradually making progress in stopping climate change despite the fact that not many of us know about climate change, if everyone is taught climate change as a course, they can also be able to both see climate change as a global emergency and contribute to stop it, and can make the process of stopping climate change faster by even think of possible ways to stop it as you have stated.
THANK YOU FOR READING.