In June 2021, a video went viral on TikTok. Under that video, the most-liked comment was: “Honestly… kinda makes me want to unalive myself even sooner.”

‘Unalive myself’ is TikTok slang for suicide. Another read: “I don’t want to be here anymore. I literally don’t want to live anymore. There’s no point.”

Many other comments echoed the same feelings of fear, anxiety, grief, anger and helplessness. 2021 saw the world still firmly in the grip of the COVID pandemic, so you would be justified in assuming that the video which triggered such angst among TikTok users was about the pandemic.

But that wasn’t the case. The viral video was a 60-second summary of the frightening effects of climate change, based on the findings of a United Nations draft report that had been leaked to the media some days earlier.

Was the TikTok community’s strong emotional response a one-off incident or simply a case of teenage angst? Unfortunately, not.

‘Eco-anxiety’ has entered the English dictionary and is defined as “extreme worry about current and future harm to the environment caused by human activity and climate change”.

Oxford Languages recorded a 4,290 per cent increase in usage of the term ‘eco-anxiety’ in 2019, particularly among young people.

A 2021 survey carried out as part of a study into eco-anxiety by the University of York and Global Future thinktank revealed that, overall, 78 per cent of people reported some level of fear about climate change, with 41 per cent admitting being very much or extremely fearful.

Another survey of 2,000 children found that one in five children are having nightmares about climate change.

But isn’t the rise in eco-anxiety a good thing from an environmental point of view? If more people care enough about the planet, then change will surely happen. This statement might sound logical but isn’t necessarily true.

Sarah Jaquette Ray, who teaches environmental studies at Humboldt State University in California, argues that eco-anxiety is bad for the planet because it does not result in climate action but the opposite – apathy, nihilism and despair.  While anxiety is an understandable human response to the climate crisis, “the planet needs you to be resilient, not anxious to the point of debilitation”.

‘Eco-anxiety’ has entered the English dictionary- Clarissa Brincat

Since eco-anxiety frequently originates from the over-consumption of negative news – so-called ‘doom-scrolling’ – we must strike a balance between staying informed and taking care of our mental health. Setting a timer for news reading and seeking good news to even out the bad can help avoid the perils of doom-scrolling.

This year, it should be slightly easier to find good climate news online since Euronews is making a point of publishing positive environmental stories in response to the rise in climate doom and eco-anxiety.

Nana Ama Browne Klutse, a climate scientist who contributed to the UN report on climate change, shared that she occasionally planted mango saplings by the roadside. Would it save the world on its own? No. Did it make her feel a bit better? Yes.

Scientists have frequently said that taking active steps to reduce their individual climate footprint helped to reduce their eco-anxiety by building a sense of control and security. Conserving energy, installing insulation, shifting to renewable energy, switching to an electric car, using public transport, planting native species, eating less meat and reducing food waste are all achievable on an individual level.

Although many young TikTok users felt disturbed by the viral video on the effects of climate change, it’s not all doom and gloom on TikTok. Many content creators are sharing tips for adopting a zero-waste lifestyle, reducing your carbon footprint, sourcing food in unusual places and cooking plant-based meals.

These TikTokers remind us that there are myriad ways to help the planet that do not involve spreading and succumbing to feelings of fear and despair.

Next time you read an alarming climate report, remember that to save the planet you must take care of your mental health first. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Clarissa Brincat has an academic background in chemistry.