Toddlers are natural entomologists. Think about it: they’re curious and always picking at tiny objects as they venture outside learning the names of all the new beings they encounter.
Recently I read a news story in Toronto’s The Star newspaper about a 7 year-old girl named Sophia from my hometown in London, Ontario. Sophia loved to collect grasshoppers. Her obsession with insects caused her substantial bullying from her peers. The bullying was so severe that Sophia had to switch schools and her family moved several times to different towns across Ontario. In one scenario a boy asked to see her favorite grasshopper before stepping on it.
(Image from www.RobertsRanch.org)
Why Sophia was made an outcast for her interest in the most diverse class of lifeforms on earth isn’t clear. Many negative and stereotyped views of insects persist among the general population. Insects are generalized as a group (despite being extremely diverse) and viewed as disgusting, pesky, and potentially dangerous competitors for space.
In my opinion socialization is largely responsible for the current views towards insects. Initially children seem to be much less fearful and evasive when encountering the tiny critters. I remember that in early elementary many of my schoolmates would excitedly discuss the differences between centipedes and millipedes. As children we learned to differentiate between arthropods. As we grew older we began to generalize not only insects but also our reactions to them, both fearing and hating them.
It’s unfortunate that as adults we’ve lost our interest in learning about insects. I think that the stupendous success of Pokemon, a phenomenon based on the dreams of a Japanese insect-enthusiast, goes to show just how much potential there is for a less stereotypical view towards these creatures. It’s certainly unfortunate that interacting with insects continues to be seen as social deviance.
(Image from www.thestar.com
*Follow-up on Sophia. The young girl received an outpouring of support from insect-enthusiasts around the world and appears to be doing just fine.
