Exploring the impact of eco-comic book stories on youth climate action

Climate-fiction stories have a tendency to be overly catastrophic or apocalyptic, with evidence
suggesting this can lead to denial or anxiety. In contrast, stories which weave in solutions to climate
change have been shown to motivate positive action (Baden, 2019). This is especially the case if stories
leave readers feeling empowered about how to take action themselves (De Meyer et al, 2020). However,
it is still unclear how hopeful optimism can be balanced with epic drama, and a small dose of sublime
fear and suspense. Comic books and cartoon animations are one form of storytelling with strong tradition
of achieving this - often through courageous superheroes that help to 'save the world'. These themes will
be explored through a series of focus groups that measure how young readers react to a range of comic
stories that contain varying degrees of positive action. The focus groups will further analyse how ecocomics
also have an important balance to strike between depicting solutions with realism, versus
depicting them in a more metaphorical sense. Responses will be measured in terms of their capacity to
motivate young readers to act on the solutions imagined within the storyline. The focus groups will take
place with schools in the Southampton area, involving a total of 40 children and teenagers aged 12-18.