Is it just me, or is there something disturbing about an 8 year old activist for anything? I cannot see anything good coming from turning young children into activists. Kids that age need love and stability, not the fear that the world is going to end unless they do something.
They are forming their own opinions. Sometimes strongly held. They are forming their own opinions on how well the world is not being managed environmentally, climatically etc. It's kinda hard to miss.
Something as simple as gathering twigs for a campfire is unusual specifically because it’s helpful. Activism at that age is a mix of learning experience and actually useful. So, IMO it can be a positive activity in the right context.
This appears to just be a continuation of the disturbing trend of adults trying to make themselves feel virtuous by speaking through their children.
I specifically remember a science class in third grade that had photosynthesis producing Oxygen and asking my dad for more information. In the age of the Internet someone getting the basic chemistry idea that molecules are made from atoms thing down should not be that surprising.
IMO, it’s plenty old enough to understand why cars get so hot inside when left in the sun which is about as far as the vast majority of adults understand climate change.
The fear should be focused on the message, and could turn into: What are you personally doing to combat climate change? What will you say you did when you look back in 2050.
*There is an exception for those who seek to undermine the system. The Nazis, the people who send porn to 13 year olds, the columnists who continuously deny climate change is real.
I find this phenomenon of pushing these kids to the forefront of climate change protests really alarming. Any call to action seeks to bypass your critical thinking especially when it comes to children. Emotions start to short circuit the rational thought.
Yes, this is a global problem in that it affects us all and needs some global cooperation, but this is not the way.
This will cause more harm to these kids and I fear the hasty decisions taken based on this activism would be myopic and may lull us into complacency or worst do more harm than good.
Then we should be doing something, we should be building a world where they don’t have to live in credible fear of mass extinctions, food crises, escalating natural disasters, and state violence in response to them. That children aren’t being afforded that by our inaction and complacency, are forced into this role to defend their basic survival, is what is far more disturbing.
Kids get more reposts/retweets/shares so the parents can rake in that ad/sponsorship money by making them public figures
Having a genuine, important and understandable cause is likely to amplify that.