Bravo for the call for more studies on what impacts behavior.
As far as the effects of TV/Video, it seems the main confounding factor is age. If you’re looking at the impact of TV messaging without taking into account age, you can’t separate out the fact that most people who watch TV are older, and thus less likely to take action to begin with.
Also, the book reading public is probably already made up of people aware of and committed to some kind of change (there’s another confounding factor, that the readers might be among older folks also; so now you can single out some factors: Older people who get information online (rather than primarily TV) AND from books may be among the most committed to action!
My sense is it’s not the medium, it’s the audience. Find the audience most likely to respond and figure out ways to SIMPLY SIMPLY SIMPLY get the info across.
I have 3 graduate degrees (one in research psychology) and I STILL have difficulty understanding some of hte more complex issues around climate change. On the other hand, about a year ago my wife and I had the good fortunate to talk to a 16 year old high school student who was the head of her high school environmental club who explained things to me I never understood despite years of keeping track of the issues (I mean, since I read EF Schumacher in the 70s!).
Make simple videos, with great graphics, have a dedicated website that you test out to make sure the average 13 year old would not only understand but be excited, and you’ve got a start.
And be sure you have very very very simple action steps, starting with the simplest (a guide to mail in voting for local and regional and national candidates who will actually do something) to actions they can take in their own communities to form letters to send not just to politicians but CEOs, non profits, anybody who can make a difference.
And please, let this “anybody who can make a difference” extend far beyond the usual suspects. A friend just sent me a passage from an internationally respected climatologist. This scientist said something like, “Ok, we give up - there’s not going to be a technological OR political fix. Nothing less than a fundamental change of human consciousness is going to save us.”
Well, if that’s the most important thing (and I’m convinced it is) you need to consult with and make a list of a whole lot of people (meditation teachers, social workers and other counselors, psychologists, philosophers and heck maybe even theologians) you wouldn’t normally have thought of.
Let us know when the new website/channel/tiktok/substack or whatever is up. The world is waiting for you.
Bravo for the call for more studies on what impacts behavior.
As far as the effects of TV/Video, it seems the main confounding factor is age. If you’re looking at the impact of TV messaging without taking into account age, you can’t separate out the fact that most people who watch TV are older, and thus less likely to take action to begin with.
Also, the book reading public is probably already made up of people aware of and committed to some kind of change (there’s another confounding factor, that the readers might be among older folks also; so now you can single out some factors: Older people who get information online (rather than primarily TV) AND from books may be among the most committed to action!
My sense is it’s not the medium, it’s the audience. Find the audience most likely to respond and figure out ways to SIMPLY SIMPLY SIMPLY get the info across.
I have 3 graduate degrees (one in research psychology) and I STILL have difficulty understanding some of hte more complex issues around climate change. On the other hand, about a year ago my wife and I had the good fortunate to talk to a 16 year old high school student who was the head of her high school environmental club who explained things to me I never understood despite years of keeping track of the issues (I mean, since I read EF Schumacher in the 70s!).
Make simple videos, with great graphics, have a dedicated website that you test out to make sure the average 13 year old would not only understand but be excited, and you’ve got a start.
And be sure you have very very very simple action steps, starting with the simplest (a guide to mail in voting for local and regional and national candidates who will actually do something) to actions they can take in their own communities to form letters to send not just to politicians but CEOs, non profits, anybody who can make a difference.
And please, let this “anybody who can make a difference” extend far beyond the usual suspects. A friend just sent me a passage from an internationally respected climatologist. This scientist said something like, “Ok, we give up - there’s not going to be a technological OR political fix. Nothing less than a fundamental change of human consciousness is going to save us.”
Well, if that’s the most important thing (and I’m convinced it is) you need to consult with and make a list of a whole lot of people (meditation teachers, social workers and other counselors, psychologists, philosophers and heck maybe even theologians) you wouldn’t normally have thought of.
Let us know when the new website/channel/tiktok/substack or whatever is up. The world is waiting for you.