Future Projections in Uruguayan Adolescents: Navigating Climate Anxiety and Uncertainty

Abstract: Adolescence is a key stage in the construction of identity and planning of a life project, when these processes unfold in contexts perceived as uncertain, embedded in global crisis, youths’ capacities to envision future projections may be affected. This study is guided by the question: How do adolescents in Montevideo, Uruguay, from 15 to 19 years old, build their future projections in a context characterized by climate anxiety and a broader culture of crisis? Based on empirical data gathered through semistructured interviews and discussion groups conducted in Montevideo, Uruguay during 2023, the article analyzes: 1) how adolescents interpret environmental risks, 2) if they associate crisis and future in their narratives, 3) how these interpretations shape their planning of life projects. Key findings of the discourse analysis applied in this article are: in their narratives, girls identify the concept of climate change/climate anxiety shapes their ability to project into the future more than boys; when trying to project into the future, adolescents use the educational system as an anchor to face uncertainty even though national statistics show considerable rates of school absenteeism and abandonment at high school; adolescents express disapproval towards how climate change is addressed by governments and adults while, at the same time express feeling held responsible for its solution by said older generations. Intersectional studies about climate anxiety in different countries should be conducted to understand the ways in which it manifests and what strategies adolescents use to cope with it.