A growing number of children are suffering from eco-anxiety—they are concerned about ecological disasters. The BBC conducted a survey of 2,000 8- to 16-year-olds. The poll showed that young people are feeling frustrated and anxious about the state of the planet, with 80 percent saying the problem of climate change was important to them, and more than a third saying it was very important.
The climate-change hysteria is now affecting our kids. Nearly three-quarters added that they are worried about the state of the planet right now, including 22 percent who say they are “very worried.” When asked about their futures, almost three in five said that they are concerned about the impact that climate change will have on their lives, with many admitting these worries often come out in unusual ways.
Yes, there were a variety of ways these worries are being manifested. Nearly one in five of the children surveyed admitted to having a bad dream about the climate crisis, while 17 percent said they have had their sleeping and eating habits affected by their concerns. When questioned about the action being taken by grown-ups to tackle the problem, a large number of children said they feel frustrated about the progress being made.
More than half said that they don’t think their voices are being heard on climate change, while nearly two-thirds don’t believe people in power are listening to them enough when they do talk about it. What’s more, 41 percent said they don’t trust adults to tackle the challenges that climate change presents.
Emma Citron, a consultant clinical child psychologist, said that young people often find it difficult to come to terms with the scale of the problem of climate changes and what often seems like a lack of response shown by governments and world leaders.
“Public figures like David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg have helped young people to voice their worries and we have to make sure that we as adults listen to them and empower them by giving talks at school and in their communities to help them become involved in positive change,” Citron said.
