University of São Paulo: Ecological and social awareness of the new generations is also due to social networks
Access to a large amount of information explains, in part, the increasing mobilization of young people in defense of environmental and social causes. In recent years, there has been a lot of youth activism in various public policy discussion forums and in various parts of the world. Professor of Social Psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP) at USP, Sérgio Kodato, believes that the current generation of young people tends to be more concerned with issues related to the environment, the fight against poverty and hunger, among other social, environmental and human agendas.
According to the professor, this generation “has seen the adult world and politicians practicing all hypocrisy and lack of action regarding the relevant measures they could adopt against the destruction of the environment and realized, in fact, that those people only want to make money at times. expense of the destruction of the environment.
Student of Environmental Sciences and activist at the age of 26, Michele Oliveira says that participating in movements that fight for the environment and for social rights gives her the opportunity to “let out an anguish that was in me, being able to share with other people is a great present, talking about my experience as an activist”.
The tendency towards an increase in younger activists reinforces what sociologist Helena Wendel Abramo said in a document on fundamental concepts that are the starting point for the discussion of public policies. According to the sociologist, the participation of young people in politics is not an issue that only concerns young people, but society as a whole, “since we all have our share of responsibility in conducting collective life”.
For Kodato, the construction of ecological and social awareness in young people was greatly intensified by social networks, mainly from the emergence of figures such as Greta Thunberg, a Swedish activist who at the age of 15 gained international fame after starting to skip classes to protest for the environment.
Encouraging young people to talk about climate change may not be enough to turn them into activists. Kodato states that “it is necessary to give them more power, the experiences in democratic schools with classroom assemblies show that the way to give voice and encourage the participation of young people is to create not only channels of expression and participation, but mainly channels of decision. Young people need to participate in decisions, as that is what leads to full citizenship in the end.”
“Being a young activist means being slapped a lot, but it is also finding acceptance and knowing that nothing is in vain, because it is the fight for our lives, for the people who cannot be with us and for a possible present and future”, reveals Michele .