Mental health · Gen Z and Gen Alpha — from the Let It Out series

What Gen Z and Gen Alpha need to get their mental balance back, away from the noise of the internet

Honestly — being a young person these days is no small challenge; it takes real effort. And being a parent raising a child in the middle of this world is frightening at times too, and an even bigger challenge to your own mental health.

Every day young people are under mental pressure from the sheer volume of notifications, from photos and videos on social media, from academic pressure, and from a world constantly telling them “this is how you’re supposed to be” before they have even worked out who they are in the first place.

It is completely natural to find yourself tired, or anxious, or to feel your mental wellbeing knocked off balance in the middle of the internet’s noise and the pace of life.

Today I’m speaking to you from the two perspectives closest to my heart: the perspective of my field and my studies in psychology — how the mind grows and heals — and my perspective as a scout, on a journey from the Brownies troop to leadership.

And from both perspectives I can tell you clearly:

We don’t necessarily need meditation, or a long lecture, or a filtered post.

What Gen Z and Gen Alpha actually need is something real, alive and enjoyable that can bring back the idea of inner and mental balance.

We need mud on our boots, real attempts, laughter from the heart with real friends around the fire at camp, and the discovery of how much we are capable of relying on ourselves. Scouting isn’t just an old hobby — scouting is a way of life and a genuine gift for peace of mind, mental wellbeing and good company. In other words, we can call it real wellbeing.

1 — What is actually happening behind the screens?

Let’s set the complicated terms aside and look at the reality that touches our mental health every day:

The truth behind the screen

• Our minds have had enough of the distraction: the fast movement on screens keeps our nervous system tense all the time. You are probably not lazy — your mind just needs a rest from all the scrolling to get its balance back.
• Connected to a thousand people, but nobody really knows us: a video can pull in thousands of views while the person behind it still feels that nobody knows his real, ordinary self — and that deepens the sense of isolation and affects our everyday social relationships.
• We need real achievement: sitting for hours and scrolling make us lose the sense of our own capability. You need to build something with your hands, solve a problem yourself, and feel the joy of succeeding at something simple that backs up your confidence in yourself.

2 — Where the magic actually happens

Scouting isn’t just a uniform or a set of rules we follow; it means creating a safe, enjoyable space for people to release their energy and grow, physically and mentally.

A factory reset for your mind (Mental Wellbeing Reboot)

Have you noticed how your shoulders drop and your breathing settles the moment you walk among trees or by the sea? That is no coincidence — that is our bodies and our mental health breathing.

For scouts: walking in the open air or sitting under the night sky is not just an activity — it is natural treatment for your brain and your mental health. When you’re finding a route or pitching your tent, your mind stops thinking about the phone and lives in the moment: “right now… the present.”

For parents: getting out into nature is not a luxury or an indulgence, it is a necessity and a foundation for mental health. It lowers stress, restores focus, and gives your son or daughter the mental space they need to process their feelings.

The patrol: a circle of friends and real support, no pretence

In a world that asks you to behave a certain way all the time so people will like you, the patrol in scouting offers acceptance and psychological safety to every member.

For scouts – from my own experience: with my patrol, every time we pitched a tent together and the wind knocked it down, laughed when the food burned, told stories and sang at night — nobody cared how I looked or how many followers I had. What mattered was that I was standing beside my friends and belonged to that troop. Those experiences improve your mental health and build relationships that last a lifetime.

For parents: the patrol system gives your son or daughter the space for a sense of belonging — a basic need — without social media’s comparisons. It teaches them real communication, empathy, and how to handle differences intelligently.

The joy of achievement

There is a big difference between someone telling you that you’re capable, and proving it to yourself, by yourself, and seeing the result.

For scouts: remember the first fire you lit, or the first summit you reached when you were exhausted? That moment when you realise: “if I got through that, I can get through anything.” That sense of pride is the root of the mental resilience we keep hearing about.

For parents: excessive fear makes us put our children in a bubble, and that indirectly sends them a signal that makes them feel weak. Scouting gives them safe experiences with real challenge in them, and when they get it wrong they learn how to get back up and carry on with stronger mental health.

You are the leader

The word leader covers a working, professional, social and personal life — not just a troop.

For scouts: scouting teaches us leadership. Before we lead anyone else, it reminds us that we are responsible for ourselves. Discovery is the first step towards our duty to self — discovering myself, my limits, and my strengths.

For parents: seeing your son or daughter carrying responsibility for a project, or leading their patrol, is not just a leader growing up — these are communication skills and social bonds forming, shaping their character and building self-confidence, and they apply across a whole life.

3 — Finally

I’d like to leave you with a simple comparison between the two realities, and the effect of the scouting movement on mental health.

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Download the full article (PDF) — the original designed edition from Let It Out. The PDF is in Arabic.

Let It Out · A self-exploration journey · Est. 2021 — linktr.ee/letitout_byk