If you are a parent of a teenager or pre-teen, you will understand what is coming in this essay. My son wears long-sleeved hoodies in the middle of the summer in Georgia. Many people chimed in after I wrote about this on my account. I am a climate scientist as well as the former president of the AMS. I know a lot about heat and this observation has been bothering me for a long time. I decided to use my curiosity and scientific training to find out why teens wear hoodies in the summer.
A teenager rides his skateboard on a street in Santa Fe. The man is wearing a hoodie. Robert Alexander poses for a picture.
The climate is warming and summers are getting hotter. In Forbes, I wrote about how temperature distributions have changed. The extreme heat values from a few decades ago are no longer normal. It was the first of its kind in the record-keeping era in parts of Europe and the United States. Most of the country will experience above-normal temperatures most of August, just as many school districts are starting sessions. I think the hoodies will not be stopped by heat.
Climate change has caused temperatures to warm recently.
I wanted to explore what was out there. The first stop I made was not a scholarly journal. Ian Lecklitner was the author of the essay. The essay dealt with people who wear hoodies during the summer. He laid out a number of reasons.
It makes sense to me. My son says it's cold in his classroom. There was a consistent explanation that caught my attention. hoodies give more than just physical comfort, they also give emotional comfort, similar to a weighted blanket, according to Lecklitner. This is where the scientific literature starts. I went to see the friend of every academic researcher in the area. The term "weighted blanket" was entered. There are a lot of studies on the use of weighted blankets to support people on the autism spectrum and other conditions.
August's U.S. temperature outlook is expected to be warm.
In his essay, Lecklitner speculated that hoodies could be similar to weighted blankets. I noticed it more after the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Pandemic was an emotionally-jarringStimulus for this Generation.
Weighted hoodies are a thing, according to a search on my favorite shopping app. Who was aware? There are many lines of hoodies with lighter fabric. While summer to some is the time for "Suns-out, guns-out" attire, an increasing number of trail runners are realizing the benefits of superlight, longsleeve hoodies for their sun protection, versatility and even style that crosses.
I will stop bothering my son because of the research I've done. I'm good to go if he's comfortable and doesn't get heat illness. This "hoodie" generation is helping to erode societal biases towards youth of color wearing hoodies as well.
A college student covered his mouth with a Skittles wrapper as he stood in a crowd of thousands at the Georgia State Capitol. Protests have been taking place across the country in response to the death of Martin, who was shot by a neighborhood watch captain in Florida. The photo was taken by Jessica McGowan.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
