Silence as a support for adolescent mental health

Abstract

Contemporary youth is growing up in a reality shaped by noise, excess, and acceleration – both technologically and culturally. This noise is not confined to the acoustic dimension; it encompasses informational, emotional, and social overload that leads to disorientation, fatigue, and a diminished capacity for reflection and mindfulness. Drawing on Byung-Chul Han’s (2022) conceptual framework, this article explores the conditions of youth within the paradigms of the society of exposure, control, dopamine, and intimacy – contexts in which young people are subjected to constant pressure to remain visible, reactive, and permanently present. Particular emphasis is placed on analyzing noise as a phenomenon that transcends sound, manifesting also as informational, emotional, and existential disturbance. Such pervasive noise destabilizes identity development and weakens the ability to engage in self-reflection. In this context, silence is proposed as both a pedagogical and existential alternative – a space that not only offers respite from overstimulation but also enables profound experiences of presence, relationality, and meaning. The text presents silence as a developmental resource that can serve regulatory, supportive, and transformative functions – psychologically as well as educationally. Drawing on contemporary pedagogical theories and a psychosocial-cultural framework, the article highlights silence’s potential in cultivating resilience, grounded subjectivity, and emotional robustness. Silence is depicted as a space for pause, internal organization, and contact with personal experience – thereby supporting the development of reflectivity, agency, and emotional competence. Practices of silence are described as a tool for educational mental health prevention, not only at the individual level but also within communal dimensions. From a pedagogical standpoint, silence is not a lack of action but rather an intentional educational environment which – within a world of incessant noise, excess, and digital stimulation – facilitates cognitive, emotional, and existential processes. It enables deeper learning, the development of self-awareness, and the creation of spaces for encountering the Other without the violence of words or the pressure of constant communication. The article advocates for recognizing silence as an integral element of educational practice, particularly within the context of youth mental health promotion. It argues for the implementation of silence not only as a concrete pedagogical strategy but also as a shift in educational paradigm – towards greater attentiveness, presence, and humanistic care.