... to find the whole Greta Thunberg thing a bit uncomfortable?

[NotMyRealName11]

She's obviously a passionate and highly intelligent young woman, she's expressing her views, and she seems happy.

But I feel that it's a lot of pressure for her, especially given her history. I hope it is not too much.

I absolutely accept that different situations can have a different effect for different people... and for her, this seems to be therapeutic. But I would be worried for my daughter if she were dealing with this pressure.

Yes i completely agree.

I thought that, the media do love to raise someone up and then bring them crashing down

I am struck by the patronising line of thinking that she ought to be kept from the world because of her condition. This is something she appears driven by, why shouldn't her family support her ambition?

You're missing the point spectacularly. You should be worried for your sons and daughters anyway. I'm not a climate change evangelist but I've chosen not to have children because I don't want to see them suffer.

I don't think for a moment that she should be kept from the world. I just think that it's a lot for any 16-yo to deal with!

Her mum is quite famous in Sweden and her dad is also relatively well known. This might seem more normal to her than it would to any other 16 year old. Her parents are probably aware of her needs and have some insight into the experience of being in the limelight. I’m sure they’re supporting her.

I agree. But it's the abuse she gets on line including from people like Aaron Banks I worry most about, how fucking dare he wish death upon her.

As someone who has been an environmental activist for nearly 30 years I find it more than a bit uncomfortable. She's a child with complex needs and at best her parents are allowing her to be used in a way that has made her a hate figure to certain, often volatile groups of people. This was 100% going to happen, nobody could be stupid enough to have not anticipated it as an absolute certainty at the current time and the way this kind of discourse has been happening. At worst she has been manipulated for years by people who prize personal fame over mental wellbeing. The reality is probably a bit of both.

If destroying the mental wellbeing and safety of a child is what it takes to save the world, then fuck it, we should all go out. Life on this planet will start over eventually. That's not going to happen though. For a long time there was, and still is, big money to be made in polluting. Now it's emerging that there is big money to be made in cleaning up. It will be a balancing act as large multinationals work out how to switch from polluting to cleaning in the way that best maximises their profits. And people like Greta Thunberg are being manipulated into being the face of this switch. It's very, very uncomfortable. It's great that we're going to survive and all that, but it's all so fucking dishonest and this child is being used.

I'm not a climate denier, but I'm not an activist either.

When I was 12 (and I fully get that there is difference between 12 and 16) I wanted to go on the Iraq school walk-out protest. My mum said over her dead body, she wasn't happy with me roaming the streets all day (despite the fact that I roamed the streets to and from school) and I was livid! In the end, my dad stepped in and said that I could go with my friends, if they went, that it was my right of free expression, but that I shouldn't draw attention to myself unnecessarily (ie radio interviews or the like) or put myself at risk. I went, all was fine, and I was pleased that I was part of it.

IMO, that is a good compromise and balance - for a child.

I don't like the argument that Greta Thunberg is some kind of puppet being used by adults. She's 16 and has a mind of her own; her parents were not particularly knowledgeable about climate change before she became concerned about it several years ago.

I do worry that as a public figure (1.3 million followers on Twitter and more on other platforms) she'll be under a lot of pressure, not to mention attacks and trolling. There's a danger of hero-worship and putting too much pressure on her shoulders; adults also need to do their bit in terms of activism. On the other hand, she has said many times that her mental health is so much better since she started school-striking, and she feels much more positive because people are starting to take the climate crisis seriously.

I worry about her less as an effective climate activist, than if she were were hopeless and helpless.
I think she probably feels a certain amount of agency, and has a purpose and goal.

I worry about her in the same way that I worry about other children in the public eye or child actors such as Millie Bobby Brown. You would hope that they are surrounded by family who are supporting them and have their best interests at heart, but this is not always the case.

Exactly what Bigpainting said.
It's all ok for now but what happens when the media have had their pound of flesh?
How will she manage when the Global media destroy her?

I hear her and I agree with her, but I cannot watch her. She makes me think of sort of sacrificial or virgin martyr. Her misery is palpable and though I can understand the doom, it seems to me that she should be protected from any additional pressures where possible.

I cannot marry those feelings with also being in awe of her pure logic, intelligence and composure.

Then I am grateful that she is not my daughter because I would not know how to protect her now.

And so I spiral around in this loop of fear and wonder.

I don't think she's being used, she has chosen her goals and set her agenda. My son is a couple of years older and has Asperger's like Greta, we have always had to deal with people underestimating him but he is a determined character who sees things through, crucially he cares very little what others think of him and is quite prepared to pursue non mainstream interests and befriend the unpopular. He would not care that Aron Banks hated him, he would apply logic to the situation and not take it personally (my other young adult kids would not want to stand out from the herd but I'd struggle to manipulate them too!). He is also good at knowing when he needs a rest. I really think those who think Greta is being manipulated have not met many intelligent 15/16 year olds. Her poor father had to do the fortnight in Spartan conditions crossing the Atlantic!
She does look younger than the average 16 year old which I think makes people feel protective.
There also is not a big secret cabal of climate change activists with large pots of money to counteract the fossil fuel industry, just a few cash strapped NGOs and some academics and concerned individuals starting to meet up hence the struggle to make a difference.

I would also watch out for confusing her " flat affect" for misery.
I agree she looks less comfortable with unscripted interviews but I'd be reluctant to call that misery.

How is it different from Malala - who was literally in the firing line of some very nasty, malevolent people?

I find all this "concern" a bit suspicious tbh. Concerned enough to make a post about her, but not concerned enough to actually take action on the environment by giving up meat, driving, flying etc despite the horrendous future she and other younger generations face because of us.

I agree, I think some people who act concerned are looking for an indirect way to devalue her message.

Concerned enough to make a post, yes, and curious too I guess. Curious as to whether the slight unsettlement I feel is also felt by others, or whether IABU.

For the record, I don't drive or eat meat ;)

How is it different from Malala - who was literally in the firing line of some very nasty, malevolent people?

There was a lot of concern about the way she was used, particularly by her father, an ambitious local political figure.

I would say the same about Greta. I'm not concern trolling in the least, but I do wonder if it's healthy for such a young girl, however intelligent, to be the subject of so much international attention.

I would also watch out for confusing her " flat affect" for misery.

At the risk of sterotyping, I would say the 'flatness' is just being Swedish. Who was it who said it's very difficult to tell the difference between being depressed and being Swedish?

"I would also watch out for confusing her " flat affect" for misery. "

Yes, but also does her autism give her the appearance of being calmer and more in control than she actually is.

We don't know her, we have to rely on those who do.

Personally, I think she's as logical as she appears- personal insults from people who don't match her intellect or passion probably don't rank highly in her list of concerns.

I do worry that the weight of 'saving the planet' is being placed so firmly on her shoulders or so it seems. She may end up being the next Virginia McKenna though who knows...we do need more passionate young people like her for sure.

She is on the cusp of being an adult and troubled with Aspergers and mental health problems. I hear her message and applaud her courage, but I do think the media are latching on to her in a way that may not be healthy for her. Will they care about what she has to say when she is 26 and the attraction of her being so young is lost? How will she feel if she is dropped like a hot potato?

I do not devalue her message. My carbon footprint is very small.

I think there's definitely an over fixation on her by the media which is never a good thing for a teenager regardless of additional needs