ArticleFrontiers in public health2026
When digital engagement meets climate concern: hopelessness as an indirect link between digital addiction and eco-anxiety in adolescents.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Adolescents are increasingly exposed to climate-related content in digital environments; however, the psychological mechanisms underlying eco-anxiety in the context of problematic digital engagement remain insufficiently understood. This study examined the association between digital addiction and eco-anxiety and explored the mediating role of hopelessness in this relationship. The sample consisted of 3,561 high school students in Türkiye (56.4% female). Participants completed the Digital Addiction Scale for Teenagers, the Eco-Anxiety Scale-High School Form, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. Associations among variables were examined using correlation analysis, and the mediating role of hopelessness was tested using a regression-based approach with bootstrapping. Digital addiction was weakly associated with eco-anxiety but showed a stronger association with hopelessness, while hopelessness was positively related to eco-anxiety. In the mediation analysis, digital addiction was associated with higher hopelessness, and hopelessness was associated with higher eco-anxiety. When hopelessness was included in the model, the direct effect of digital addiction on eco-anxiety became non-significant, while the indirect effect remained significant, indicating full mediation. These findings suggest that digital addiction may contribute to eco-anxiety primarily by increasing future-oriented pessimism and a diminished sense of control among adolescents. Eco-anxiety also differed across several socio-demographic and digital exposure variables. From a conceptual perspective, eco-anxiety appears to emerge not only as a response to environmental threat awareness but also as a psychological experience shaped by cognitive and emotional vulnerabilities within digital contexts. However, the cross-sectional design of the study limits causal interpretations of the findings. Addressing future-oriented pessimism and perceived inefficacy, alongside strengthening digital media literacy and climate-related coping resources, may support adolescent psychological wellbeing in digitally mediated environments.
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