Young people feel anxious about the future. Here's how to inspire them instead

There is mounting evidence that young people do not feel empowered to take on the challenge of climate change. On the contrary, many seem to feel a paralysing sense of doom from being bombarded by bad news about the environment. It’s no surprise that some young people doubt they can make a difference to the future of the world.

This sense of doom may be partly due to young people using online resources to help them understand global challenges like climate change. A 2023 EdWeek Research Center poll showed that 56% of 14-18 year-olds get “some” or “a lot” of their knowledge about climate change from social media like YouTube and TikTok. Online videos are the most commonly used learning materials by kids aged from around 5 to 18 years old, according to the survey.

There is a massive risk of misinformation on unregulated social media, which can contribute to a vicious cycle of incorrect or negative perceptions and worsening mental health. This link has been identified by Dr Britt Wray, Director of the Chair’s Special Initiative on Climate and Mental Health in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of Stanford University School of Medicine.

In her book, Generation Dread, Wray discusses how communities despair as climate impacts worsen through direct local stressors, wider physical health declines and general awareness of non-stop bad news. Poor mental health then reduces people’s ability to act to build a better world. These feelings of depression and avoidance are particularly acute among younger people, who are set to experience the worst of future changes for the longest period.

Wray and a research team led by Dr Caroline Hickman also surveyed 10,000 young people aged 16-25 in 10 countries to understand this vicious cycle. More than 45% of respondents said their feelings about climate change negatively affected their daily life and functioning. This rises to over 70% in global-south countries, which experience the most direct climate impacts. Overall, 56% of respondents believe humanity is doomed.

Another research team made a focused study of over 600 UK students to explore the benefits of exposure to scientific research (this study is currently a pre-print and so has not yet been peer-reviewed). It showed that 47% of those with exposure to climate change news via environmental studies wanted to educate themselves about potential climate futures in solutions-focused ways. But these students were not well supported by standard school curricula and were instead having to find their own solutions.

Working with science engagement platforms could give young learners an opportunity for direct and active involvement in communicating good news about climate change solutions. This could dispel the anxiety many feel about the future, replacing it with empowerment and passionate action.

A great example of such an initiative is the World Economic Forum’s recent collaboration with kids’ science platform Frontiers for Young Minds (FYM). Leading scientists on the steering committee of the Forum's Emerging Tech Report 2024 collaborated with key authors to create kid-friendly articles about the 10 emerging technologies covered by the report. A group of young people reviewed the articles before publication to ensure they were accessible to others their age.

FYM connected these young reviewers with the scientific researchers who authored the articles. They worked under the guidance of expert local science mentors who are part of a global network that teamed up with young reviewers in 60 countries. In addition to the science they learnt about during the review process, the young reviewers also gained a wider understanding of the need for peer review in the scientific process – and for information validation more generally. These critical thinking and questioning skills will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

“I never thought that I would be reviewing a complicated science topic that will be read by other kids my age. It felt really exciting and important – I feel proud that I got to learn something new and now get to help others learn it too. It makes me want to keep learning more about technology,” said one 14 year-old reviewer called Ansar.

Another, Hrdaya, aged 11, said: “I did not know about these technologies before reviewing the report. I think they are absolutely ingenious and wonderful. Having these technologies would make life easier and more resourceful on earth. We should use nature’s resources wisely and create things that help people without harming the environment.”

And a 15 year-old reviewer called Harry, said of the project: “I would like this technology to bring convenient, efficient and affordable healthcare to people all around the world … If I enter the healthcare sector, I wish for this technology to aid my work and to provide a better quality of healthcare for more people.”

This is compelling qualitative evidence of the impact the reviewing experience had on these young people, who had never had such direct contact with science research or its authors before. They have been empowered to envision solutions and are looking forward to using them in their own futures. Upon publication of the 10 free-to-read articles on 4 June 2025, other kids their own age will also be able to enjoy and get positively inspired by groundbreaking, climate-focused emerging technologies.

To ensure that that young people seize opportunities offered by breakthrough science, rather than feeling defeated by the challenges of a changing world, they must have free access to high-quality online information.

This will support the right sort of learning at scale, while also promoting hope and agency to create a ripple effect of inspiration and change throughout the next generation.