While the emotional impacts of climate change on young people are gaining recognition, the way they discuss these feelings remains largely unexplored.

A new Australian national survey of 1943 young people aged 15-19 reveals that today’s youth are deeply concerned about climate change, with nearly 7 in 10 young people saying they felt very or extremely concerned about climate change.

Whom do young people talk with? According to the survey, young people most commonly talk about how they feel about climate change with their friends, followed by parents/guardians and teachers.

The survey analysis reveals that the most significant predictor of whether a young person talked to others about how they felt about climate change was how often they felt listened to.

Finally, young people see these conversations as essential for challenging their sense of loneliness and isolation, creating spaces where they can share their difficult emotions and build a sense of community in the face of an overwhelming global issue.