Greta Thunberg syndrome: how a little girl became the main influencer of the year

The news about the Swedish girl Greta Thunberg was under discussion over the past week. 16-year-old Greta made a speech from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly in which she urged the whole world to fight climate change. And while some are standing up applauding the girl with Asperger's Syndrome, others literally suggest killing her. Who is Greta Tunberg, and why is everyone so interested in her?

Girl with Asperger Syndrome

Asperger Syndrome is a psychological development disorder that is often called a milder form of autism. People with this syndrome have difficulties with socialization and communication, it is more difficult for them to adapt in society, and leading an active social life for such people is considered to be something completely beyond the bounds of fiction. And yet, Greta not only took an active life position: she gathered an army of followers around her, met with many influential people, including Barack Obama and the Pope, held actions and spoke in front of a million-strong audience. And this is why she should be admired: she sets an example for hundreds of people with similar problems, showing that there are no obstacles to have an active life.

The truant

For the first time we heard about Greta in 2018. On August 20 she held her first solo strike in front of the parliament building in Stockholm. The “School strike” attracted the attention of the public, and soon the girl became famous not only in her native Sweden, but also far beyond its borders, and more and more schoolchildren began to join her protest. Half of the comments under the news about Greta are devoted to this part of her biography: the girl skips school and inspires other children to skip! Someone writes that the action of Greta is just an excuse to skip classes, but Thunberg herself has a different opinion: it is her generation that will have to face the consequences of climate change.

Greta's Speech

In her speech to the UN, Greta accused politicians around the world of inaction. “We are in the beginning of mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you? ”Said Greta with tears in her eyes. According to her, scientists from all over the world have been talking about the “climate crisis” for a decade, but despite populist statements that the world community is aware of this problem, in fact, politicians are not taking any steps to fix it. According to Greta, all responsibility for preserving the planet thus falls on her generation and the generation of her children.

Influencer

The society was divided into two camps. And while some call Greta the Messiah, others point out the danger of such praise. The girl, who is only 16 years old, has already become one of the most powerfull influencers of the year, and this raises questions about how such popularity will affect Greta herself, and also about whether the movement she started will lead to a social explosion.

Even the most ardent environmental activists and scientists are not sure about Greta. In their opinion, her actions will not be able to lead to a change in the situation, and they blame the girl herself for speculating on the problem. Frenchman Bernard Chenebot, the former president of the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, even called for the murder of Greta Thunberg, calling her crazy and accusing her of inciting hatred in society. Those who hold less radical views simply point out that Greta oversimplifies the complex problem of climate change: not everything here depends solely on the will of politicians, there are objective factors that Greta does not take into account.

Nevertheless, the influence of Greta Tunberg is growing. The number of her subscribers has reached 7 million people over the past week - not every Hollywood star can boast so many fans!. And we can’t say what is the reason for such popularity: either people really finally realized the danger of climate change, or Greta has a very talented PR manager behind her back.

Greta`s Syndrome

However, for those who are closely following the latest trends in environmental protection, the appearance of Greta is just one of the signs that the situation is slowly improving. The fact that something needs to be changed is said not by tens, but by hundreds of people around the world, including representatives of the fashion sector.

Influential brands refuse to use natural fur and leather in their new collections. Activists campaign against “fast fashion,” which has a direct impact on the deterioration of the environmental situation in the world. Experts organize seminars to talk about the principles of conscious consumption. The ethical appeal to animals and nature, the maintenance of sustainable development goals is the same trend in the fashion industry, as, for example, flared pants and oversize jackets.

And we can say that the merit of Greta Thunberg is that she just once again reminded us that the topic of ecology is in fashion and relevant as never before.