Fear of the Future, Now

This chapter explores how eco-anxiety, a psychological response to climate change, manifests among Gen Z and Millennial populations through personal narratives shared on social media platforms, particularly TikTok and Instagram. Drawing from recent examples and emerging psychological literature, the chapter examines the emotional, social, and political implications of digital storytelling and the therapeutic potential of performance and audiovisual technologies. It also evaluates the roles of AI and virtual reality in addressing trauma-related symptoms like eco-anxiety. This multidisciplinary analysis offers insight into how narrative agency, digital activism, and media aesthetics intersect in shaping generational responses to ecological crisis.