The Little Things Teens Can Do

The future of our planet is looking unpromising as time passes, and no action has made any reversible effect. Although unlikely, a dystopian Earth to come in the near future is not an arbitrary idea; instead, it may be a far-off reality for humans to eventually face if climate change efforts do not make a lasting difference now. Climate change has developed into such a real issue that teachers warn and educate their students of its undeniable and unavoidable consequences. Newer generations have no choice but to live with the outcomes of climate change. As preventable as climate change was, it is far too late now. But teens have the chance to make a difference by cutting back on their carbon footprint, which is one main contributor to global warming and climate change. Although most carbon solutions cater to adults, many things that teens love, like fashion, music, and video games, can be reduced in carbon emissions if they make the right sustainable choices.

Less Fast Fashion

The consumer market for fast fashion is expanding with the rise of online shops like SHEIN, Temu, and many others. These rising leaders are out-competing preexisting in-store fashion giants like Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo. Their success is partially thanks to the lingering effects of the pandemic, which opened doors to how easy and accessible online shopping can be. To add on, the low prices of online shopping entice budget buyers. However, it is difficult to ignore the amount of carbon emitted when transporting new, trendy clothing to doorsteps across the Pacific. These clothes often originate from South or Southeast Asia, such as countries like Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, China, and Thailand. Clothes embark on a long journey, from being shipped on a boat to being dropped off and driven to many doorsteps. As a result, this lengthy process emits a large amount of carbon. The fashion industry reported an alarming number of 2.1 billion tons of carbon emitted from clothing and footwear production in 2018. This number could increase to 2.7 billion tons by 2030 if nothing changes soon. But it is not right to continue supporting this exploitative and wasteful industry; it will simply contribute to the problem. Instead, as teens, it is more important than ever to support thrifting businesses and wear secondhand clothing, which could have ended up in a landfill. Thrifting and up-cycling clothes is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Plus, thrifting is trendy nowadays!

Music and Landfills

The accoladed American music industry carries “legends” who remain thriving well into a decade of fame and other break-out stars thanks to TikTok and other social media platforms. The rise of K-POP and its expansion to the Western market has garnered millions of international fans despite the language barrier. These two music industries are very similar when comparing their impact on the planet and carbon emissions. Passive mass-streaming is a common and popular phenomenon where fans play songs on repeat passively to benefit artist(s) in music charts or to boost their chances of winning awards. However, this fan culture emits more carbon than the carbon used to create physical CDs. Mind that streaming a song more than 27 times breaks even the energy costs it takes to make a CD. A greener alternative to mass-streaming is buying a physical CD or vinyl, as it emits no carbon other than the process it takes to produce, and it still supports artists monetarily.

In addition, K-POP fans can monetarily support their favorite idol singers by purchasing merchandise and albums; K-POP albums, however, are excessively packaged in plastic. When thrown away, they become impossible to recycle due to their material. Thus, an underlying issue of albums is mass-buying, defined as buying lots of albums (sometimes to obtain a particular item or boost album sales without future use). This issue is concerning as excess albums culminate in bulks of trash when left unwanted. During the first fifty weeks of 2021, above fifty-four million copies of K-POP albums were sold. Imagine how many of those sold albums resulted as trash for a landfill because of bulk buying. Mass-buying is a relevant issue because although K-POP is unknown in some parts of the world, it has unarguably reached international attention and fame, and as its industry grows, so will the power and influence its artists hold. Teen fans of all types of artists should buy merchandise and albums they will use rather than throw them out.

Fans must hold artists and their companies accountable for unnecessary contributions to the carbon problem. Companies should be encouraged to look for alternatives that do not jeopardize the planet. Teens can help themselves and the Earth by acknowledging these issues and avoiding participating in fan-culture practices. That can mean restraining oneself from mass-streaming and mass-buying deemed unfavorable for fighting climate change.

Energy in Video Games

Video games are a fundamental, exciting, and entertaining part of adolescence. They bring gamers together who share the goal of winning or helping each other. However, video games consume energy, thus carbon, during development and playthrough. Although it is not feasible to completely cut off video games or expect game developers to lower the quality of a game, teens have a crucial role in supporting, purchasing, and playing games that help reduce the carbon footprint. Some game developers are creating games in low-resolution and small file sizes to maximize carbon reduction. Other developers are sneaking low-resolution graphics on unnoticeable parts of a video game, for example, menu bars. As a whole, major tech companies like Microsoft and Sony are striving to be carbon neutral by 2030. Teens have the power to support video game companies that are taking a step in the right direction. If teens cannot physically solve the problem now, they can encourage these corporations more than ever to act faster.

Teens can make a difference in the world by adjusting their habits to lessen their carbon footprints meanwhile continuing to do the things they love - just in a greener way. Being mindful of every little thing and how it might affect the planet is a step in the right direction. And it is even more impactful if teens decide to take action sooner than later before it is too late. After all, it’s the little things teens can do that count.