Why are more young people questioning whether to have children, plan long-term careers or even imagine their future with confidence? Experts say growing climate anxiety is increasingly shaping how they think, feel and live.
Researchers have a name for it: eco-anxiety. They say it can trigger fear, anger, grief, guilt, helplessness and frustration, while also disrupting sleep, impairing concentration and causing people to question major life decisions, including whether to have children.
Senior researchers Emma Lawrance and Jessica Newberry Le Vay of Imperial College London said eco-anxiety is generally an understandable response to the climate crisis rather than evidence of mental illness.
However, it can become harmful when it interferes with daily functioning, they said.
"Many young people tell us that the future ... feels threatened by a changing climate."
