What is the Spiral of Silence?
For many of us, negative emotions surface when confronted with the environmental issues we face as a society. Young people in particular can experience high levels of eco-anxiety due to climate change. Adults do not feel informed enough to facilitate constructive conversations with young people about climate change, and often feel stressed and disempowered from doing so.
A myriad of issues, including lack of confidence, friction in the education system, pessimistic messaging, misinformation, and polarization perpetuate a “spiral of silence” around the subject, making it one that adults do not like bringing up with each other, let alone their children.
It is our responsibility to equip the next generation with the values, mindsets, and habits that prepare them for the environmental challenges they will face in the future.
“There is a lot of funding going into getting people to believe that climate change is not real.”
— Climate Communication Researcher
“Folks don’t want their kids to feel bad. They want their kids to feel happy.”
— Parent
“I don’t really have anyone else who talks about these things around me. Do they not care?”
— Parent
“Nothing is set up to support outdoor learning.”
— Education Researcher
“A lot of what we’re hearing today is very scary and anxiety inducing.”
— 1st Grade Teacher
Become a Communicator!
We’ve designed the Break the Silence Workshop to provide you with a foundational and practical understanding of the Ingrain Framework.