Students & Social Causes: Is Earth Day Expendable?

Do teens and college students care about environmental issues? Yes, but not quite as much as they care about other issues.

In a recent discussion with the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board, I mentioned that Earth Day was coming up and asked them if it sparked ideas for topics Ypulse should cover. A few members mentioned sustainability initiatives they’d heard about, the conversation quickly veered to a discussion of broader social causes — health and obesity, working for non-profit companies, and brands that are giving back to society in a variety of ways. Those were the topics they wanted to talk about.

Earth Day and environmental causes are still a common focus in school, and students get involved, but other causes are taking the forefront in students’ thoughts. According to a recent survey conducted by Ypulse, 48% of students say that the environment and conservation are “very important” causes, but that’s well below the number that say education (71%), health (60%), and civil and human rights (60%) are very important causes.

That could be because “going green” is less prominent in the media lately, while there has been greater focus on obesity issues and gay rights. Another factor is that students feel less of a sense of urgency about solving environmental issues. They’ve been hearing about environmental issues and taking action for years — even kindergarten classes discuss and practice recycling.

That’s not to say students are over environmental activism. They understand the issues and know what they can do to make a difference, which makes engaging them as activists easier — you don’t need to convince them there’s a cause to care about and educate them about the issues.

What’s more, students are paying attention to and supporting brands that support the environment. And they make their contributions with their wallets. The Ypulse survey found that students chose to buy brands with environmental initiatives — Chegg, Dawn, Seventh Generation, Tide, Burts Bees, etc. — over others.

In short, the environment is just one social cause on students’ radar screens, but it is one they clearly understand and that has been ingrained in their subconscious from a young age. And, as with other causes, brands that show their support will be rewarded for their involvement in issues that touch students’ lives.