From ecoanxiety to climate justice: What do young people on TikTok in the Spanish Mediterranean think about climate change?

Abstract

This article examines climate change communication on TikTok, focusing on the perceptions of high school students from four locations in Catalonia and Valencia that differ in terms of their environmental settings, levels of education, and exposure to risk. Four focus groups were conducted, during which three videos with different formats and narratives were screened. The resulting emotional responses, values and credibility judgements of the young participants were analysed, as well as the mobilising potential of the platform. The results reveal that geographical proximity to extreme weather events (such as DANA and flooding) is the main catalyst for an emotional response, shifting interest from individual action to demands for political responsibility. While short videos capture attention, their effectiveness depends on what young people refer to as ‘home language’: a demand for authenticity and intimacy that prioritises personal accounts over institutional communication, which is perceived as rigid and distant. Differences between the four analysed contexts show that prior environmental education and direct experience of disaster both promote a more critical and politicised reception, transforming eco-anxiety into a demand for social justice. In conclusion, TikTok’s potential for climate action lies not only in its viral aesthetics, but also in its ability to localise the message and connect emotion to the tangible reality of the local environment.