A research study led by Örebro University is following about 1,000 high school students over three years to investigate how young people are affected by climate change and how those feelings develop over time. Data from the first survey with 600 16-year-olds indicates that 17% were climate-resilient, feeling well and engaged despite sorrow and anxiety, while about 10% worried a lot and were affected by climate anxiety in everyday life. However, 73% of the young people reported low engagement in the climate issue.
The study, funded by the Swedish Research Council and not yet complete, also includes in-depth interviews. According to SVT Nyheter, Marlis Wullenkord, an environmental psychologist and one of the researchers, described that the large group with low engagement was a surprise, but the survey responses do not give a complete picture. Climate worry among young people increased between 2010 and the early 2020s, then decreased, according to official sources.
That the group was so large was a surprise.
Wullenkord suggested one reason could be that we live in a time with many crises, and climate change is just one of several ongoing crises that young people must handle emotionally. Another reason, she noted, is that increased feelings of hopelessness make young people distance themselves. Göteborgs-Posten reports that Wullenkord seemed almost disappointed that only three out of ten young people felt worry about the climate.
The outlet criticized framing climate anxiety as normative, arguing it is strange to problematize lack of worry as if it were healthier to feel anxiety. It stated that more young people not feeling worry should hardly be seen as a problem, except for views seeing climate change as the main threat, and noted today's abundance of societal issues like AI's impact, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, wars, and insecurity. Göteborgs-Posten added this is a sign the time when climate was the only existential issue is over, with several major problems emerging that were not on the agenda ten years ago, explaining why worry is less concentrated and climate issue does not arouse as broad engagement as in the 2010s.
But at the same time, she believes that the survey responses do not give a complete picture.
Politically, the Green Party's declining support among young people reflects this, according to Göteborgs-Posten. The exit poll Valu shows the Green Party's support among first-time voters dropped significantly over the last decade, from 16% of 18-21-year-olds in 2010 to 5% in 2022. The latest Generationsbarometer indicates young people define themselves less based on political identities than before, and despite a right-wing wave, only 5% define as conservative and 6% as liberal.
The label environmentalist has also become less common.
It is only the surface we have captured in the survey study, it is very important to go in depth as well.
We can only speculate so far, but one reason could be that we live in a time with many crises. Climate change is just one of several ongoing crises that young people must handle emotionally.
Another reason, Marlis Wullenkord believes, is that increased feelings of hopelessness make young people distance themselves.
If one feels powerless in the face of a real threat, then it is perhaps not so strange that one feels hopelessness. It is a very important task for schools to work on, to give young people hope.
It is very important to not only talk about the problem and what goes wrong, but also about the good things being done.
Marlis Wullenkord also emphasizes that it is completely reasonable to feel worry and anxiety about the climate.
Schools and the adult world need to help young people put words to their feelings. That in itself can give a sense of control and make the feelings easier to handle.