CLIMATE ANXIETY IN GEN Z: FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL PARALYSIS TO PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION IN EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS

Abstract

Climate anxiety has surfaced as a rising psychological worry among Generation Z, affecting emotional well-being, academic performance, and environmental activism around the world. This integrated review investigated how climate fear influences psychological reactions and pro-environmental behavior among teenagers in educational settings. A total of 35 peer-reviewed publications published between 2015 and 2025 were systematically reviewed, with data obtained from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, PubMed, and ERIC databases. According to the data, roughly 84% of young people expressed moderate to great concern about climate change, while 59% suffered severe eco-anxiety as a result of future uncertainty. Emotional responses such as fear, helplessness, despair, tension, and hopelessness were regularly expressed, with around 45% of participants reporting that climate anxiety had a detrimental impact on their daily functioning, focus, and emotional stability. Despite these psychological consequences, climate fear served as a motivator for environmental action, with 68-80% of studies finding higher participation in recycling, climate activism, sustainability campaigns, and eco-friendly behaviors among environmentally conscious adolescents. Educational institutions, supportive learning settings, climate education initiatives, and peer engagement were recognized as essential protective variables in transforming emotional distress into resilience, hope, and positive environmental participation. Social media played a dual function in raising climate awareness but also increasing emotional overload from continuous exposure to climate-related events and fear-based narratives. The review concludes that climate fear among Generation Z should be considered not only as a psychological challenge, but also as a driver for climate participation and sustainability action when supported by appropriate educational and psychosocial treatments.