Climate Change becomes the 2023 Children's word of the year in what experts claim hints at young...
Children desire 'meaningful change' experts claim, after ' ' was named as the children's word of the year by Press (OUP). Over 3,000 children aged six to 14 were asked for their word of the year, with the most common response being 'climate change'. This was followed close in second by 'war' and third in 'coronation'. Since the poll began in 2014, the results have become increasingly serious. In 2020 the children's word of the year was ' '; a year later it was 'anxiety'; in 2022, when died, it was 'Queen'. With last year proving to be the hottest ever recorded, 'climate change' was the defining term for young people in 2023. According to the publisher, the research demonstrates just how much of a 'significant role' current affairs is playing in the lives of children today. Helen Freeman, director of Oxford Children's Books, said: 'The choice of 'climate change' not only demonstrates how attuned children are to the news and their environment, but the research also reveals their willingness to engage with meaningful change. 'Whether it's understanding how children use slang phrases or what word reflects the past year, it's imperative we continue to support children's language development so they have the means and vocabulary to express themselves.' Reflecting on their opinions of why 'climate change' was chosen, children talked to researchers about the impact of environmental threats and their concerns for the future. They also said the word makes them feel 'sad', 'scared' and 'worried'. Amid war in Europe and the Middle East, 13 per cent of children said the news was why they voted for 'war' while 23 per cent referenced the conflict in Israel and Gaza or Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a reason. Amy Meek, chief executive and co-founder of charity Kids Against Plastic, said: 'We also mustn't ignore the findings from the language research which demonstrate young people's desire for action. 'Young people not only recognise that climate change is an issue, but they're also seeing the importance of tackling it. 'No-one will feel the negative effects of climate change more than the next generation or the positive effects of the action we take against it now.' 'Coronation' was chosen for a happier reason by children, with 24 per cent saying celebration was the reason they picked the crowning of the King in May. The publisher also researched the slang term of the year, which was chosen to be 'bro' by 42 per cent of children. Other colloquial words including 'lol' and 'slay' were also found to be popular after a market research survey by Childwise of 1,450 children. The publisher said that research finds children use 'bro', not just as a term for friends, but as a way of showing solidarity when giving someone a warning.