Recognizing a New Environmental Education Phenomenon with Science Mapping Techniques: Eco-Anxiety

Abstract

As awareness of global warming and ecological deterioration increases, the phenomenon of "eco-anxiety," which is a result of the negative effects of ecological crises on human mental health, has begun to take more place in our lives. Ecological problems disproportionately affect children, who are more susceptible to the economic, social, and health problems caused by the environmental crisis. For this reason, environmental educators, who have an active role in coping with eco-anxiety, need to know this phenomenon better. At the same time, research in the field of education on eco-anxiety is very important as it will reveal the points to be considered and the steps to be taken in the environmental education processes. This study aims to present a simple and understandable roadmap to those who want to research the concept of eco-anxiety, which is still very new but still popular. In this direction, books, scientific publications, and internet resources dealing with the concept of eco-anxiety were analyzed, and the findings were presented using visual and scientific mapping methods.