Psychological Effects of Climate Change Media Exposure on Climate Change Worry: The Moderating Role of Coping Strategies in Italian Emerging Adults

Background: Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century. Climate-related information is widely disseminated through mass media, particularly social media. Exposure to such content can elicit emotional responses and contribute to climate-related psychological states, including eco-worry. Objective: This study examined exposure to climate change-related information among Italian emerging adults, focusing on information sources, related emotional responses, and the moderating role of problem-focused, de-emphasizing/avoidant, and meaning-focused coping strategies in the relationship between media exposure and eco-worry. Methods: A total of 642 Italian emerging adults aged 18–30 years (M = 22.84, SD = 3.06; 62.1% female) completed self-report measures assessing exposure to climate change-related information, information sources, emotional reactions, eco-worry, and coping strategies. Moderation analyses were conducted to evaluate the protective and risk roles of different coping strategies. Results: Exposure to climate change-related information predominantly elicited negative emotions, particularly anger, guilt, and helplessness, whereas positive emotions were less frequent. Participants generally perceived climate change information as broad and generic, with social media emerging as the primary information source. Compared with traditional media, social media exposure was associated with higher levels of eco-worry and negative affect. Problem-focused and meaning-focused coping strategies attenuated the relationship between information exposure and eco-worry, whereas de-emphasizing and avoidant coping strategies strengthened this association. Conclusion: Overall, these findings highlight the role of media exposure in shaping the psychological impact of climate change in the Italian context. They also provide support for interventions promoting adaptive coping strategies and suggest directions for future research.