In the 21st century, the impacts of the climate crisis are becoming increasingly evident in everyday life. According to a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2024 was recorded as the hottest year in history, with the global average temperature rising 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. In the long term, the global warming trend has also continued to increase, ranging between 1.34 and 1.42°C. It is as if the Earth is running a high fever and is much hotter than it was two decades ago.

This means that the Earth’s temperature has already exceeded the limit agreed upon in the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming from exceeding 1.5°C while remaining below 2°C.

This rise in temperature brings many consequences, ranging from extreme weather changes to increasingly frequent natural disasters. In Indonesia, for example, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has collectively recorded more than 10,700 disasters from 2023 to July 2025, with floods and forest and land fires being the most frequent events.

However, the impact of the climate crisis is not only felt physically. On the other hand, a new psychological phenomenon has also emerged, especially among young people, known as eco-anxiety or ecological anxiety. This term describes feelings of fear, anxiety, and helplessness that arise from concerns about environmental destruction and the future of the planet.

This anxiety is a sign that the climate crisis does not only affect nature, but also touches on aspects of mental health. Many young people feel anxious because the future of the Earth seems uncertain, and there is fear that efforts to address this crisis will not be enough to prevent even greater disasters in the future.

Ecological Anxiety and the Vulnerability of Young People

Simply put, ecological anxiety is a persistent fear of environmental destruction and the impacts of the climate crisis (Panu, 2020). In a study by Ardianto et al. (2025) involving 165 young respondents in Indonesia, it was found that the higher a person’s awareness of the climate crisis, the greater their anxiety about environmental conditions, and vice versa.

This anxiety causes various symptoms. According to Hogg et al. (2021), the symptoms are divided into several categories:

• Emotional (affective) symptoms, such as feeling anxious, afraid, sad, restless, or tense when thinking about environmental destruction.
• Rumination, or thinking too often about environmental problems to the point that it becomes difficult to stop.
• Behavioral symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping, reduced appetite, trouble focusing, decreased motivation, or avoiding certain activities.
• Personal anxiety, including feelings of guilt from believing one is contributing to environmental damage, for example by using motor vehicles.
• Social and psychological disturbances, such as difficulty interacting with others, declining work or academic performance, feelings of helplessness, and even hopelessness.

In addition, young people are among the groups most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. They are often referred to as the “heirs of the crisis” because they will live the longest with its consequences, even though they are not the ones most responsible for causing it (Sanson et al., 2021).

The younger generation also bears the consequences of the mistakes of previous generations who were overly dependent on extractive economic systems—economic models that heavily exploit natural resources without considering sustainability.

In the digital era, this pressure becomes even heavier because young people are constantly exposed to negative news about the climate crisis, which can lead to mental exhaustion.

Ecological anxiety also influences young people’s life choices. Some choose to be child-free because they worry that their future children would live in a world damaged by the climate crisis. Others choose career paths that are more environmentally friendly.

All of this shows that young people are becoming increasingly aware that every decision they make, whether small or large, will have an impact on the future of the Earth.

Ways Forward

The emergence of ecological anxiety means that young people need to learn how to set boundaries and prioritize their mental health. According to Edwards et al. (2023), there are several things that can be done to cope with it.

First, seek social support by listening to one another and creating safe spaces to share experiences so that no one feels alone in facing this anxiety.

Second, participate in solution-oriented environmental education that spreads positive messages rather than simply increasing fear.

Third, take real action for the environment, such as joining movements like Meatless Monday, which encourages reducing meat consumption every Monday and can help reduce feelings of guilt about one’s personal impact on the Earth.

In addition, it is also important to limit news consumption or practice digital detox. Constant exposure to climate disaster content can worsen anxiety. Try managing screen time and only reading news from trusted sources at specific times.

Ultimately, the phenomenon of ecological anxiety can actually become a trigger for renewed awareness among young people. From fear comes the motivation to act, so that future generations do not have to bear even worse consequences of the climate crisis.

Young people can become the generation that is not only aware, but also responsible for the future of the Earth.

So, what about you? Have you started taking small climate actions today?

References

Ardianto, B.T., Adiwena, B.Y., & Siswanto. (2025). Concern about the future: Climate change perception predicts eco-anxiety among young generations in Indonesia. Psycho Holistic, 7(1), 33–42.

Edwards, R., Larson, B., & Clayton, S. (2023). Navigating eco-anxiety and eco-detachment: educators’ strategies for raising environmental awareness given students’ disconnection from nature. Environmental Education Research, 30, 864–880.

Hogg, T., Stanley, S., O’Brien, L., Wilson, M., & Watsford, C. (2021). The Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale: Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Scale. Global Environmental Change.

Panu, P. (2020). Anxiety and the Ecological Crisis: An Analysis of Eco-Anxiety and Climate Anxiety. Sustainability.

Sanson, A., & Bellemo, M. (2021). Children and youth in the climate crisis. BJPsych Bulletin, 45, 205–209.