As a parent, you’re always on the lookout for good reads and research about raising children today. For parents of girls, a great new resource has just been released by Girl Scouts of the USA: the 2026 State of the Girl report.
Girls across the country were asked to share their experiences, concerns, and needs as part of this new research. The results? A rich reveal of what it means to be a girl right now, with all life’s pressures and possibilities.
Of the many topics that were included, you can bet that social media was near the top. The report looked at the impact of social media on body image, mental wellbeing and girls’ ability to connect with others. Forty-six percent of girls say they’re online almost constantly, and the research shows that teen girls are more likely than their male peers to report negative impacts of social media on their mental health, confidence, and sleep. More alarming, the report shows that over half of girls reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness within the past year, and one in four girls seriously considered attempting suicide.
Much of that, according to the report, can be attributed to harmful online environments and cyberbullying. Because of this, it is critical for girls to feel understood — and taken seriously — so that they can talk about mental health concerns they may be facing.
While the report outlines many challenges that girls and young women are navigating, it also shows there are ways to produce positive support systems and opportunities for them by taking initiative to understand what girls need and nurturing their potential. Having access to caring adults and supportive peers can answer that need.
Tracy Keller, CEO for the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, says the State of the Girl report’s findings are a reminder that the future of girlhood isn’t just defined by headlines and statistics. “Their lives, their destinies, are shaped by the environments and experiences we offer. Opportunities they are telling us they need.”
Yes, girls are facing real challenges like loneliness and body image concerns. However, that isn’t the entire story. What’s holding girls back? They are truly thoughtful, creative, ambitious, and resilient; they just need conditions that help their confidence grow, like support from caring adults, emphasis on friendship, encouragement to try new things without pressure, and the protection of unfiltered joy.
The next time you talk to your girl, be the listener. She’ll appreciate it. The research tells us that girls often feel grown-ups misunderstand them or take what they’re saying the wrong way. For girls, especially younger girls, who have a hard time speaking up, this allows issues or problems to go unnoticed and/or unaddressed.
This is a generation navigating a girlhood experience unlike any before. To help them thrive requires commitment by the adults in their lives and some investment by society. Girl Scouts is uniquely qualified to meet girls and their parents where they are on this journey, creating space for girls to define their experience for themselves while making healthy social connections (and lifelong friendships). Bring your girl to a free Discover Girl Scouts event near you, meet other families who share your concerns and your hopes, and learn how Girl Scouting helps girls in grades K-12 grow in courage, confidence, and character.
