Between the digital world and mental overload: rethinking youth engagement

Today, young people are growing up in an environment where constant screen connectivity, the pressure of fast-paced daily life, and information overload have become the norm. In this context, turning an idea into a project, committing to a cause, or taking entrepreneurial initiative has become increasingly challenging.

To better understand these realities, a survey was conducted among young professionals and university students, focusing on digital well-being, mental load, and engagement in projects and initiatives.

The findings do not point to a lack of interest or ambition. Rather, they reveal a gap between young people's willingness to take action and the real conditions that enable them to do so.

1. A daily reality shaped by mental load and constant demands

The survey responses reveal a consistent pattern: stress is present across all respondents, with the majority reporting moderate to high levels of stress.

Digital technology, now deeply embedded in everyday life, is experienced in an ambivalent way—both as an essential tool and as a source of mental overload.

In this context, the capacity to reflect, plan, or launch a project becomes increasingly limited, not because of a lack of interest, but because of a lack of mental space.

2. The willingness to act is real, but turning intentions into action remains challenging

The findings reveal an encouraging trend: young people are not disengaged.

Some respondents are already working on a project, while others have not yet taken any concrete steps. However, very few are in the intermediate stage of exploring, developing, or structuring an idea.

The barriers identified are practical and consistently recurring:

• Lack of time

• Mental overload

• Lack of guidance on how to structure an idea

• Lack of the skills needed to turn an idea into action

Overall, the results suggest that the main challenge is not a lack of motivation, but rather the ability to translate intention into meaningful action within the constraints of an already demanding daily life.

3. The need for simple, accessible, and reality-based support

These findings highlight a clear need for support systems that take into account the real constraints young people face, particularly mental overload and constant exposure to digital technologies.

Young people's expectations go beyond access to information. They are looking for simple, progressive, and accessible formats that allow them to move forward step by step. They also need guidance from the earliest stages of developing and structuring an idea, making it easier to turn an initial concept into a concrete project.

This also means reducing the cognitive burden associated with taking action and, more importantly, creating mental space by acknowledging the effects of digital fatigue and the demands of everyday life. Doing so can help young people regain the mental availability needed to engage and take initiative.

In other words, the challenge is no longer simply to encourage young people to take action, but to create the conditions that make action realistically possible.

Conclusion: a key role in supporting the transition from intention to action

This study highlights an essential reality: young people are not lacking in ideas or motivation. However, they are navigating an environment shaped by mental overload, time constraints, and constant digital pressure, all of which make it more difficult to turn intentions into action.

In response, a different approach is needed—one based on listening, understanding, and providing practical support.

This is the role we seek to play: staying close to the realities young people face, understanding the challenges they encounter, and offering solutions that respond to their genuine needs.

This means building on their everyday experiences rather than theoretical assumptions, providing simple and progressive forms of support, helping them move from ideas to action without adding unnecessary complexity, and fully integrating digital well-being into initiatives that promote engagement and entrepreneurship.

The challenge is no longer simply to encourage initiative, but to create the conditions that make it possible, sustainable, and accessible.

At our level, we support young people's initiatives and work alongside those who want to transform their ideas into concrete action.

We invite you to connect with us and continue the conversation.

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Anonymous online survey conducted between June and July 2026 among young adults aged 18 to 30.