Survival kits: the concretization of the threat
Last week, the European Union authorities presented a plan in which they asked the population to always have one on hand. kit survival for possible emergency situations in which we may find ourselves - such as natural disasters or even a possible war.
The news has generated a psychological impact in many of us in the form of fear or anxiety. Suddenly, something that we had been sensing for some time is confirmed: the idea of a safe world or society on which we had built our lives has cracked.
The kit The survival crisis is evidence of a threat. We are not facing a situation born out of nowhere, but rather an extremely complex geopolitical reality, with increasing social and political polarization represented by political leaders who are increasingly displaying belligerent and violent attitudes. Confrontation and threats are the order of the day. The feeling is that the escalation into a greater crisis is ever closer.
This geopolitical context diminishes citizens, instilling fear in them. And in this situation, how information is conveyed to citizens is key: certain messages can make us feel that things are out of control. This can generate great distrust in institutions—if the explanations are unclear and the exact reason for a type of emergency preparedness, such as a disaster, is not understood. kit survival–. Not providing detailed information about the possible emergency scenarios that are being considered is extremely dangerous because it generates misinformation and this fuels the feeling of manipulation.
It is appropriate to talk, in this context, about the shock theory by Naomi Klein. The author exposes how crises (or the threat of them occurring) can be used as a pretext to implement radical changes that would not be accepted in normal times and that may even go against the values of a large part of the population. At these times, governments may decide, for example, to reduce investment in social policies and, on the contrary, increase defense spending. The crisis becomes the perfect ecosystem to reconfigure the social, political, and economic order without much resistance or citizen confrontation, because threat and fear paralyze.
But let's return to the psychological aspect, to the impact of the news that occupies this article. According to some experts in disasters and crises, the right to know It's essential in extreme situations, and this requires effective communication. Over-information can lead to desensitization or blockage due to saturation. Conversely, insufficient and poorly understood communication can lead to disorientation and anxiety, and directly impact our emotional well-being. It's essential to communicate well.
It seems clear to us that preparation for an emergency or crisis in a changing world (climate crisis, unstable geopolitical reality, etc.) will be key to adapting to the present and the future. This can also lead to positive aspects, such as an increased sense of autonomy, greater control over one's own safety in the face of an uncertain world, the adoption of a more proactive and less passive attitude, and improved situational awareness. Collectively, it can also lead to greater community cohesion, which leads to the sharing of strategies or resources, while promoting solidarity among citizens. But for all this to happen, we need to understand why we must prepare, have a narrative that makes sense of what is being asked of us, build a context, have tools to combat fear, and thus build environments of hope that generate well-being. Because transparent, reassuring, and educational communication helps reduce the pain of uncertainty we can feel when faced with the threat of a crisis. Because the threat itself is already painful, and if it's communicated with little information, with opacity, and in an alarmist manner, we'll only make life more unbearable.
