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>mom of 8-year-old climate activist Havana Chapman-Edwards Is it just me, or is there something disturbing about an 8 year old activist for anything? I cannot

>mom of 8-year-old climate activist Havana Chapman-Edwards 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.

Retric 7y ago
It’s a question of agency. Young children rarely get the feeling that anything they do has inherent value. 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.
- repolfx 7y ago
  But there's nothing an 8 year old can do to be helpful for climate change. At 8 you don't even really understand what the climate is or how it's different from weather, let alone what CO2 or methane are. This appears to just be a continuation of the disturbing trend of adults trying to make themselves feel virtuous by speaking through their children.
  - Retric 7y ago
    8 is ~3rd grade. That’s old enough to look up and understand things that interest them. While I doubt every 8 year old had that understanding, this is about a specific 8 year old. 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.
  - lancewiggs 7y ago
    Attacking the messenger* is not ok, particularly when they are vulnerable. It is our duty as a society to find safe places for 8, or 18 year olds, and anybody to express themselves without fear. 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.
anarchy8 7y ago
Except, that fear is well founded and they know that it's ultimately up to their generation to do something about it.
mizzack 7y ago
Gotta start the indoctrination while they're young! https://www.amazon.com/Activist-Innosanto-Nagara/dp/1609805399 https://www.amazon.com/Activist-Innosanto-Nagara/dp/16098053... Yes, that's an activism board book for 3 year olds. Yes, there's an entire genre of these.
JulianMorrison 7y ago
Kids are routinely enthused about things and desire to do good. Having a genuine, important and understandable cause is likely to amplify that.
kenshinji 7y ago
However the world is going to end no matter what we’ll do.
NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Kids are often involved by schools with nature projects, beach cleanups, litter, recycling, learning about bugs and insects etc. They might even get a little exposure to media such as radio, TV, David Attenborough, social media and such. 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.
claudeganon 7y ago
> Kids that age need love and stability, not the fear that the world is going to end unless they do something 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.
yogthos 7y ago
So they should just sit there and wait to die is what you're saying?
- daenz 7y ago
  Imagine telling that to your young child every day and then wondering why your child has anxiety disorders and social problems. Part of being a responsible parent is shielding your children from the horrors of the world, so that they can develop in a stable and sane environment.
  - authoritarian 7y ago
    It can go the other way as well. My parents were helicopter parents that thought they were doing their best by shielding me "from the horrors of the world" and I suffer from related anxiety orders and social problems. I would've rather been exposed to more and had the ability to form my own opinions
    - daenz 7y ago
      I'm sure we can agree there is middle ground. I don't think instilling in them that they are just "waiting to die" unless they skip school and march in the streets counts as that middle ground.
      - authoritarian 7y ago
        Yes I agree, going to the extreme in either direction is not healthy
  - 4ec0755f5522 7y ago
    I do my best on this, but if she knew about the climate strike I would have let her join it. It's no good denying the reality of the situation we are in just to spare sad/anxious feelings. This generation has a choice: 1) Survive but feel anxious 2) Die, but be happy as a child, then angry it was hidden from you after it's too late to do anything It's an unfortunate dilemma but we must choose the better of these, yeah? It's probably 'try to survive' rather than 'bread and circuses'. It's fair that the people most likely to be affected by this are the ones most concerned/active about doing something about it.
authoritarian 7y ago
>I cannot see anything good coming from turning young children into activists Kids get more reposts/retweets/shares so the parents can rake in that ad/sponsorship money by making them public figures
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
sifar 7y ago
I feel the same too. What on earth would prompt a parent to expose their kids to doing this at this age and everything that comes with it. 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.
jshaqaw 7y ago
My kids are 8 and 9. I’ve sheltered them from the world until now on the basis you suggest but reality is breaking through. I can’t get away with lying to them anymore about the planet. So no an activist at 8 is not disturbing it’s kind of inspiring.

Retric 7y ago

It’s a question of agency. Young children rarely get the feeling that anything they do has inherent value. 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.

repolfx 7y ago
But there's nothing an 8 year old can do to be helpful for climate change. At 8 you don't even really understand what the climate is or how it's different from weather, let alone what CO2 or methane are. This appears to just be a continuation of the disturbing trend of adults trying to make themselves feel virtuous by speaking through their children.
- Retric 7y ago
  8 is ~3rd grade. That’s old enough to look up and understand things that interest them. While I doubt every 8 year old had that understanding, this is about a specific 8 year old. 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.
- lancewiggs 7y ago
  Attacking the messenger* is not ok, particularly when they are vulnerable. It is our duty as a society to find safe places for 8, or 18 year olds, and anybody to express themselves without fear. 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.

anarchy8 7y ago

Except, that fear is well founded and they know that it's ultimately up to their generation to do something about it.

mizzack 7y ago

Gotta start the indoctrination while they're young! https://www.amazon.com/Activist-Innosanto-Nagara/dp/1609805399 https://www.amazon.com/Activist-Innosanto-Nagara/dp/16098053... Yes, that's an activism board book for 3 year olds. Yes, there's an entire genre of these.

JulianMorrison 7y ago

Kids are routinely enthused about things and desire to do good. Having a genuine, important and understandable cause is likely to amplify that.

kenshinji 7y ago

However the world is going to end no matter what we’ll do.

NeedMoreTea 7y ago

Kids are often involved by schools with nature projects, beach cleanups, litter, recycling, learning about bugs and insects etc. They might even get a little exposure to media such as radio, TV, David Attenborough, social media and such. 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.

claudeganon 7y ago

> Kids that age need love and stability, not the fear that the world is going to end unless they do something 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.

yogthos 7y ago

So they should just sit there and wait to die is what you're saying?

daenz 7y ago
Imagine telling that to your young child every day and then wondering why your child has anxiety disorders and social problems. Part of being a responsible parent is shielding your children from the horrors of the world, so that they can develop in a stable and sane environment.
- authoritarian 7y ago
  It can go the other way as well. My parents were helicopter parents that thought they were doing their best by shielding me "from the horrors of the world" and I suffer from related anxiety orders and social problems. I would've rather been exposed to more and had the ability to form my own opinions
  - daenz 7y ago
    I'm sure we can agree there is middle ground. I don't think instilling in them that they are just "waiting to die" unless they skip school and march in the streets counts as that middle ground.
    - authoritarian 7y ago
      Yes I agree, going to the extreme in either direction is not healthy
- 4ec0755f5522 7y ago
  I do my best on this, but if she knew about the climate strike I would have let her join it. It's no good denying the reality of the situation we are in just to spare sad/anxious feelings. This generation has a choice: 1) Survive but feel anxious 2) Die, but be happy as a child, then angry it was hidden from you after it's too late to do anything It's an unfortunate dilemma but we must choose the better of these, yeah? It's probably 'try to survive' rather than 'bread and circuses'. It's fair that the people most likely to be affected by this are the ones most concerned/active about doing something about it.

authoritarian 7y ago

>I cannot see anything good coming from turning young children into activists Kids get more reposts/retweets/shares so the parents can rake in that ad/sponsorship money by making them public figures

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

sifar 7y ago

I feel the same too. What on earth would prompt a parent to expose their kids to doing this at this age and everything that comes with it. 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.

jshaqaw 7y ago

My kids are 8 and 9. I’ve sheltered them from the world until now on the basis you suggest but reality is breaking through. I can’t get away with lying to them anymore about the planet. So no an activist at 8 is not disturbing it’s kind of inspiring.