Studies reveal teenagers are severely undereducated on climate and energy issues.
With students returning to classrooms this month, many arrive already convinced their future is hopeless. A Lancet Planetary Health study of 10,000 young people across 10 countries found that 75% believe the future is frightening and 56% think humanity is doomed. We are graduating an energy-illiterate generation at a time when the nation must build critical infrastructure.
A 2025 PNAS study indicates one in five Americans aged 16 to 24 are afraid to have children due to climate concerns. This sense of gloom has intensified over time, as Yale’s long-running survey shows that among Americans aged 18 to 34, the proportion who believe global warming is already harming their country rose from 40% in 2012 to 64% in 2022.
What is driving this shift? It could be what is missing in the classroom. Teenagers identify teachers as their primary source of information on climate and energy. Seventy-one percent report learning “a lot” or “some” from a teacher, ahead of parents at 67% and social media at 63%. Yet, the median high school science teacher dedicates only one to two hours per year to teaching these topics, and three-quarters of teachers state they have never received formal training in this subject.
The gap in instruction is evident. Nearly three-quarters of teens believe ocean plastic significantly contributes to climate change. Energy illiteracy is even more severe: fewer than one-third of high school students can identify the top three sources of American electricity generation. Energy literacy scores among high school seniors have declined between 2017 and 2022.
Social media fills this gap. Researchers at the University at Buffalo, in a publication last fall in Climatic Change, found that heavier social media use correlates with “climate doom”—the belief that global warming will collapse societal and economic systems. When other researchers analyzed 100 climate-related videos on TikTok, only eight cited a reputable source.
A digital feed of ignorance and despair is not a viable curriculum. The consequences extend beyond emotional distress. After 15 years of stagnation, American electricity demand has begun rising again, increasing by approximately 2% annually since 2020. Data centers are projected to double their share of peak electricity demand within two years.
For teenagers navigating career choices, this ignorance could be costly. Recent discussions highlight concerns that artificial intelligence may close entry points into white-collar jobs. A leading AI laboratory head warned that such technology could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar positions within five years, concentrated in fields traditionally hiring new graduates.
However, the full picture reveals opportunities. Electricians are growing at three times the rate of the average occupation, with roughly 73,500 openings annually. Nuclear technicians earn a median salary above $104,000 without requiring a four-year degree. Applied trades have added 2.5 million jobs since 2019, and the average utility worker is nearing retirement.
Students need to understand this comprehensive landscape. The Energy Information Administration reports that natural gas displacing coal has driven the largest reduction in U.S. power-sector emissions. Technology companies have committed more than $50 billion to nuclear power—a record investment. Three Mile Island reactors will restart next year, and most new nuclear plants are scheduled for the 2030s.
For a 16-year-old aspiring to work in nuclear energy, this timeline suggests job security. Kids deserve to know their futures are far from hopeless. A modest dose of energy education could serve as an effective antidote to climate-related despair.
Organizations such as Generation Atomic offer nuclear science programs for grades 6 through 12. The American Conservation Coalition mobilizes youth around nuclear power and permitting reforms. Blue Energy Nation’s BENERGY course launches nationally this fall, featuring six modules designed for homeschool families but easily integrated into existing science, civics, or economics curricula.
Students should not form their worldviews based on TikTok videos. We must teach them where energy comes from, how it impacts their futures, and what they will need to contribute. Fear is an ineffective career counselor. A generation convinced the future is already lost will not build the grid that the future demands.
