Hoosier girls say connecting with others is essential

Hoosier girls yearn for positive social connections, and they want adults to help them achieve them. 

Those are two takeaways from the 2025 Indiana Girl Report, which came out in the fall. 

The third annual report comes from the Girl Scouts Coalition of Indiana and the Indiana Youth Institute. In 2025, report organizers spoke with 91 girls in nine listening sessions across Indiana and got input from 130 caregivers and youth professionals. 

“There is an increasing urgency to address the mental health of girls by increasing their social time and leveraging positive social connections as protective factors,” the report says. One mental health professional from southern Indiana was quoted as saying, “I don’t worry about the girls that are connected to youth-serving organizations. I worry about the girls that aren’t.” 

Those who gathered statistics for the document found that girls experience bullying at double the rate and cyberbullying at triple the rate of boys. Sexual violence affects girls four and a half times the rate of boys. Furthermore, in 2024, the likelihood of seventh- to 12th-grade girls experiencing serious mental health challenges was twice that of boys. 

Girls average 5.3 hours on social media a day, nearly an hour more than boys. 

Out of curiosity, CARES asked some of its youth leaders – all high-school students – how much time they spend on social media a day, and how that compares to in-person connecting. Daily hours online ranged from one to six, with most reporting three or four. A couple of the girls said they spend equal time connecting online as they do in person, but most reported doing 80 to 90 percent of their connecting in person. 

The report notes that social media perpetuates body dissatisfaction, social comparison and low self-esteem among adolescent girls. 

Local girls acknowledged that they have been encouraged by peers on social media to skip homework for hangouts, to make fun of someone, to join in on bullying, to consume alcohol and drugs, to gossip about someone and to look a certain way or believe in certain things.


On the other hand, according to the report, through healthy peer relationships, teens build empathy, cooperation and problem-solving skills. They are more likely to engage in community service, school and athletic participation. Teens also can make safer decisions and reduce risky behaviors.

 

Social media isn’t all bad, of course. Among other things, digital platforms serve as social lifelines for girls who feel isolated. The benefits are measurable: 80 percent of adolescents report that social media keeps them connected to friends’ lives, 71 percent say it offers a place to showcase their creativity, 67 percent find people who support them through tough times and 58 percent feel more accepted. For some young people, these platforms promote self-care behaviors and serve as gateways to mental health care. 

According to the report, girls “want help resisting the pull to be constantly online … not the elimination of tools that provide genuine connection.” 

“Supporting students isn’t just about setting rules around social media,” commented CARES Director Candy Neal. “It’s about helping them learn how to use it in healthy ways. When we guide our youth in managing their online interactions, building face-to-face relationships, practicing empathy and working through problems together, we give them skills they’ll use both online and offline.” When asked how adults can help them manage their use of social media, Dubois County girls had these suggestions: 

Offer more peer-based learning or more one-on-one time with us. 

Talk with us more so we feel seen. 

Encourage us to do other things to help us limit our time on devices. 

Encourage us to establish face-to-face communication. 

Create other things for us to do, such as family game nights, going to the park and going to get ice cream. 


The report’s recommendations for how adults can get more involved in supporting adolescent girls can be found on the CARES website, at DuboisCountyCARES.org. 
 

The Dubois County Coalition for Adolescent Resilience and Empowerment Strategies has student clubs at all of the local high schools and works through them, community activities and a variety of resources for the betterment of adolescents. 


For more information about the coalition or to join its efforts, visit the website or call 812-827-8464.