Studenti

Students are back at their desks under pressure from the workload, tests and performance anxiety. But when they don’t understand something, they don’t look for help from adults: two out of three kids turn to AI or Google, while barely 8% raise their hand and ask the teacher for clarification.

It’s the picture that emerges from three instant polls on Back to School 2026 that Studenti, the benchmark media brand in digital education, submitted to its community (around 1,500 responses received) in order to understand how the way of studying is changing, the sources young people ask for help from and the concerns linked to returning to school.

The data also show that AI, rather than being seen as a shortcut, is perceived by kids as a tool capable of helping them understand better.

THE RESULTS OF THE THREE INSTANT POLLS CONDUCTED BY STUDENTI

1 – To understand, AI and Google first. Adults slip into the background

• When they encounter a difficult topic, two out of three kids (66.6%) turn immediately to artificial intelligence or Google.

• Human support slips into the background: 12.8% ask a trusted adult or a private tutor for help, 12.6% consult with classmates.

• Barely 8% ask the teacher for clarification during the lesson. A figure that shows how much digital tools have now entered the daily routine of study; AI and Google are always available and offer immediate answers.

The data highlight a contrast: the new generations feel the weight of academic expectations from adults, but when they need help they tend to turn elsewhere.

2 – Returning to school? Weighing down is above all the pressure

For students, the main difficulty of Back to School is school pressure.

• Over 50% indicate the workload of homework, tests and performance anxiety, as the heaviest aspect of returning to school.

• Followed, with 26.6%, by the return to school rhythms, between early wake-ups and reduction of free time.

• More contained are the concerns about socializing with classmates, indicated by 12.4%, and about the judgment of teachers, at 10.5%.

Returning is therefore experienced above all as a performance-related challenge.

3 – AI and critical awareness: for almost one in two kids it helps to understand better

• Over 45% of students state that AI helps them understand concepts better, 21.2% appreciate it above all because it allows them to save time and 9.5% use it to organize their study better.

• Only 6.1% recognize that it can sometimes lead them to reason less and barely 2.5% declare using it mainly to get ready-made answers.

• 15.3%, on the other hand, do not use AI to study.

AI emerges therefore above all as a tool to support understanding, but the ability to use it in a critical and conscious way remains central.

STUDENTI+: THE EXPERIENCE WITH THE AI TUTOR GAIA IS ENRICHED

Alongside editorial storytelling, Studenti expands the concrete tools made available to its community. Gaia, the AI tutor already available on the site, evolves within Studenti+, the free personal area accessible via registration and login, with new features designed to accompany kids in learning and revision.

With Studenti+, young people can transform notes and teaching materials into summaries and conceptual maps, create quizzes and flashcards, find answers to their doubts and organize content by subject. A dedicated environment for school that enhances the potential of artificial intelligence without replacing the student, fostering more organized learning and a conscious use of AI guided by critical awareness.

STUDENTI ON INSTAGRAM: FROM SCHOOL TO THE FUTURE

On the occasion of Back to School, Studenti also renews its presence on Instagram, with the goal of speaking above all to an over-18 community and accompanying them from high school to the choice of study path, right up to entry into the world of work.

Gen Z current affairs, educational and career guidance, topics and issues concerning new generations, psychological well-being, society and stories that deserve to be told.

Among the new short video formats there will be “School Alert”, with Esmeralda Moretti, a daily pill dedicated to the main news from the school world and student life, and “Orienteering”, with Noemi David, a weekly appointment dedicated to the opinions and sentiment of over-18s on school, guidance, society, generational trends and current affairs topics.

Studenti is the Mondadori Digital media brand leader in Italy on digital in the education category, with 3.4 million unique web users (source Comscore – May 2026). It is a benchmark for New Gens at school, but not only, thanks to a dynamic and continuously evolving editorial offering, characterized by innovative languages and content: a formula that has allowed Studenti to reach over 1.2 million followers on social media – across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp – where students can access guides and tutorials to prepare for exams, receive support with AI tools in a safe place, to orient themselves in their educational and professional future and find resources to better live their experience, under every aspect, including personal well-being.

Webboh and Studenti, respectively the benchmark for Gen Z in Italy and the leader in digital educational, brought to the stage of the Paranoia Festival a research focused on the relationship that teenagers have with their parents. The survey was conducted by Webboh Lab, the first Permanent Observatory on Gen Z in Italy, together with the Sylla Research Institute.

The two Mondadori Digital communities, both media partners of the Festival—a cultural movement that puts young people’s mental health at its center—involved their audience of very young people, succeeding in transforming the words and behaviors of the new generations into concrete insights, useful for understanding a change that involves not only teenagers and families, but also schools, institutions, media, brands, and organizations.

All the results of the survey, which involved over 3,000 girls and boys under 19, of which more than 2,300 chose to also leave an anonymous message to their parents, were presented at BASE Milano during the talk “Listening to identity. How Gen Alpha and Gen Z build themselves today”, as part of the second day of the Milanese event of the Paranoia Festival. Speakers at the meeting included: Giulio Pasqui, Founder of Webboh; Furio Camillo, Scientific Director of Webboh Lab and the Sylla Research Institute, along with content creators Samara Tramontana and Klaus; and psychologist Marzia Targhettini, Treasurer of the Order of Psychologists of Lombardy.

«The Paranoia Festival, with the collaboration of Institutions, offers young people physical places where they can meet, express themselves, and be heard. We feel the responsibility to do the same in the digital environment, through Webboh and Studenti. Therefore, with this research, we gave them a space to speak out: over 3,000 girls and boys responded, and as many as 2,300 chose to entrust us with an anonymous message addressed to their parents. A gesture of trust that is anything but taken for granted», commented Daniela Cerrato, Chief Marketing Officer of Mondadori Digital. «This demonstrates that Webboh and Studenti are two editorial platforms with which the new generations can easily interact and where they can easily open up to bring their issues to light. This is where the valuable work of Webboh Lab and the Sylla Research Institute fits in, allowing these testimonies to be elaborated into useful data to understand the perspective of the youngest», concluded Cerrato.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEENAGERS AND PARENTS: FAR FROM A FLEEING FROM THE FAMILY
The data emerging from the research conducted on the Webboh and Studenti communities disproves the clichés about isolated teenagers or those uninterested in their relationship with adults; the vast majority of young people seek an authentic connection with their parents and wish to talk about:

• personal future (77.4%),

• their emotional sphere (71.8%),

• time management and their passions (71.8%)

• friendships (70.4%).

Conversely, topics traditionally associated by adults with adolescent life slip to the bottom of the list, such as:

• affectivity and sexuality (42.2%)

• social media and online life (33.1%).

From the qualitative analysis of over 2,300 anonymous messages, what makes the difference is nevertheless the “how” to dialogue; young people primarily ask for more listening (24.6%) and less judgment (23.6%). If on the one hand 42.6% state “They love me but they don’t understand me”, fully 39.5% of the open responses reiterate the need to “talk more and better”, confirming that even in moments of conflict, the emotional bond with the family remains solid (27.4%).

To download the survey:
https://webboh-lab.it/come-gen-alpha-e-gen-z-costruiscono-oggi-se-stessi/

Webboh is the benchmark media for Gen Z. Founded in 2019, it has been part of the Mondadori Group since 2023. It boasts a monthly web and social reach of 5 million (source: Comscore social incremental reach, last 3 months media) and a fanbase – across TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, and Whatsapp – of over 6 million followers. It is stably in the top ten most influential Italian media on social media, as well as first in the Generation Z target for engagement and video views (source: Classifica Top Media Italiani by Prima Comunicazione).

Webboh Lab, born from the encounter between Webboh and the Sylla Research Institute, under the scientific direction of Prof. Furio Camillo, is the first Permanent Observatory on Gen Z in Italy. Its goal is to provide an authentic and real snapshot of Generation Z, giving voice to young people through surveys and research that transform their opinions into concrete insights for companies, institutions, and media.

The Sylla Research Institute is specialized in the design and execution of market surveys. The Scientific Director of the Institute is Professor Furio Camillo.

Studenti is the Mondadori Digital media brand leader in Italy in digital educational in the education category, with 3.4 million unique web users (source: Comscore – May 2026). It is a benchmark for the New Gen at school, but not only, thanks to a dynamic and constantly evolving editorial offer, characterized by innovative languages and content: a formula that has allowed Studenti to reach over 1.2 million followers on social media – across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp – where students can access guides and tutorials to prepare for exams, receive support to find their orientation in their scholastic and professional future, and find resources to better experience their student life in every aspect, including personal well-being.

Not a flight from the family, but a deep desire to be truly listened to. This is the picture taken by Webboh and Studenti, media partners of Paranoia Festival 2026, the cultural movement focusing on the mental well-being of young people.

Webboh, the benchmark media for Gen Z in Italy, and Studenti, leader in digital education, involved their communities of very young people in a study focused on the relationship adolescents have with their parents. Subsequently elaborated by Webboh Lab – the first Permanent Observatory on Gen Z in Italy – together with the Sylla Research Institute, the survey “Listening to Identity. How Gen Alpha and Gen Z Build Themselves Today”, will be presented Saturday 12 September at BASE Milano, as part of the second day of the Milanese appointment of the Paranoia Festival.

All the results of the research, which involved over 3,000 girls and boys under 19 and collected over 2,300 anonymous testimonies addressed by young people to their parents, will be at the center of the talk “Listening to Identity” with Giulio Pasqui, Founder of Webboh, Furio Camillo, scientific manager of Webboh Lab and the Sylla Research Institute, together with content creators Samara Tramontana and Klaus, and psychologist Marzia Targhettini, from the Order of Psychologists of Lombardy.

“When we ask kids what they would like to talk about more with their parents, personal future comes first. It is a request for accompaniment, not distance. These kids are not telling us “leave us alone”. They are telling us something very different: listen to us, trust us, and try to understand who we are becoming. From the survey, we discover that almost eight out of ten would like to talk more about their future with their parents. When we give kids a space to talk, they talk. And they have a lot to tell us. Not to forget that the effectiveness of the parent-child relationship comes from an authentic dialogue”, commented Professor Furio Camillo.

The data emerging from the research disproves the clichés about isolated teenagers or those uninterested in the relationship with adults; the vast majority of young people seek an authentic connection with their parents and wish to talk about:

• personal future (77.4%),

• their emotional sphere (71.8%),

• management of time and their passions (71.8%)

• friendships (70.4%)

However, what makes the difference is “how” to dialogue: kids primarily ask for more listening (24.6%) and less judgment (23.6%). While on the one hand 42.6% declare “They love me but they don’t understand me”, a good 39.5% of open responses reiterate the need to “talk more and better”, confirming that even in moments of conflict, the emotional bond with the family remains solid (27.4%).

Webboh is the benchmark media for GenZ. Founded in 2019, it has been part of the Mondadori Group since 2023. It boasts a monthly web and social reach of 5 million (source: Comscore incremental social reach, average last 3 months) and a fanbase – across TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, and Whatsapp – of over 6 million followers. It is consistently in the top ten most influential Italian media on social networks, as well as first in the Generation Z target for engagement and video views (source: Top Italian Media Ranking by Prima Comunicazione).

Webboh Lab, born from the encounter between Webboh and the Sylla Research Institute under the scientific direction of Prof. Furio Camillo, is the first Permanent Observatory on Gen Z in Italy. Its goal is to return an authentic and real snapshot of Generation Z, giving voice to young people through surveys and research that transform their opinions into concrete insights for companies, institutions, and media.

The Sylla Research Institute specializes in the design and implementation of market research. Scientific director of the Institute is Professor Furio Camillo.

Studenti is the media brand of Mondadori Digital leader in Italy in the digital education category, with 3.4 million unique web users (source Comscore – May 2026). It is a benchmark for New Gen at school, but not only, thanks to a dynamic and continuously evolving editorial offer characterized by innovative languages and content: a formula that allowed Studenti to reach over 1.2 million followers on social networks – across TikTok, YouTube, and WhatsApp – where students can access guides and tutorials to prepare for exams, receive support with AI tools in a safe place, navigate their educational and professional future, and find resources to better live their experience, in every aspect, including personal well-being.

Studenti presents the results of its survey on the 2026 State Finals: in the age of AI and deskilling, Generation Z continues to believe in education, but increasingly evaluates university and training in terms of transferable skills and return on investment.

This is what emerges from the survey conducted by Studenti, Mondadori Digital’s leading media brand in Italy in the digital education sector, with the support of the Sylla Research Institute. The survey involved the Studenti community and a sample of high school seniors (selected through a national online panel using the CAWI method) to analyse the expectations, concerns and outlook of Generation Z on the eve of the 2026 State Exam.

THE DEGREE IS NO LONGER A GUARANTEE: EDUCATION YES, BUT WITH A “RETURN ON INVESTMENT”

The findings reveal a profound cultural shift. Only 28.8% of students consider a university degree to be the most reliable path for building their professional future, while 60.3% believe that the value of university depends on the degree course chosen: some are still seen as a worthwhile investment, while others are perceived as offering limited value in the job market.

A minority are already looking at alternatives such as ITS programmes and vocational pathways (5.5%), immediate entry into the workforce (4.1%) or entrepreneurship (1.4%).

This does not reflect a lack of confidence in education. On the contrary, young people continue to recognise the value of learning, but expect it to deliver tangible results. In other words, a degree is no longer considered a value in itself, but rather a tool to be assessed on the basis of the return it can generate over time.

“The findings portray a generation that has internalised market logic long before actually encountering the market itself. This is not cynicism: it is an adaptive response to a context in which uncertainty is structural. The challenge for the education system is to provide not only technical skills, but also the ability to navigate change,” commented Alfonso Brunetti, Research Director at Sylla.

THE DESKILLING EFFECT: AI DOES NOT CAUSE CONCERN, BUT THE FEAR OF BECOMING OBSOLETE DOES

While artificial intelligence has become an integral part of students’ daily study routines — with 64% of respondents using AI to prepare for the State Finals — their main concern is the impact that emerging technologies could have on the long-term relevance of their skills. Young people are entering a labour market in which professions, roles and required knowledge are evolving at an increasingly rapid pace.

This is also confirmed by the voices of Studenti’s WhatsApp community: 8 out of 10 respondents say they are at least somewhat concerned about deskilling, namely the risk that automation and AI could make skills currently considered essential obsolete. Only 20% believe that technology will mainly create new opportunities for those who know how to make the best use of it.

Behind this concern lies a form of FOBO (Fear Of Becoming Obsolete): the fear that skills and educational pathways may lose value more quickly than in the past. For this reason, Generation Z is approaching education with growing pragmatism, favouring pathways that can guarantee continuous learning, adaptability and employability.

THE GEN Z PARADOX: EDUCATED BUT NOT READY FOR ADULT LIFE

The picture that emerges is also that of a generation that is aware, yet fragile when it comes to practical matters. Only 20% of students feel completely autonomous in managing the practical aspects of adult life, such as filling out documents, dealing with bureaucracy, managing contracts or preparing for a job interview.

By contrast, 80% admit they do not feel fully prepared: 48% describe themselves as only partially autonomous, 26.7% believe school has not adequately prepared them, and 5.3% still prefer to delegate these responsibilities entirely.

When asked which skill school has failed to teach but will be most useful in life, responses converge on highly practical areas: financial education and money management (around 30% of responses), bureaucracy and practical life skills (22%), entering the workforce (18%), psychological skills and emotional management (15%), and personal guidance and orientation (10%).

STUDENTI+, THE NEW PERSONAL PLATFORM TO PREPARE FOR STATE FINALS

To coincide with State Finals, Studenti is launching the new Studenti+ personal area to help young people organise their studies and revise in a simpler and more effective way, including in preparation for exams. Thanks to AI, users can upload notes and learning materials and transform them into interactive revision tools such as summaries, concept maps, flashcards, quizzes and Q&A content, bringing everything together in one place.

Studenti is Mondadori Digital’s leading media brand in Italy in the digital education category, with 3.1 million unique web and social users (Source: Comscore, April 2026). It is a reference point for younger generations both at school and beyond, thanks to a dynamic and constantly evolving editorial offering characterised by innovative language and content. this let Studenti reach 1.2 million followers on social media — including TikTok, YouTube, and WhatsApp — where students can access guides and tutorials to prepare for exams, receive support to navigate their educational and professional future, and find resources to make the most of their student experience in every respect, including personal wellbeing.

The Sylla Research Institute specialises in the design and delivery of market research studies. Its Scientific Director is Professor Furio Camillo.

‘What will I do after secondary school?’ This is the question keeping thousands of Italian students awake at night during these weeks. On one hand, the state exam still represents the main source of anxiety (for 50% of students). On the other hand, there is an equally strong but underlying concern: uncertainty about the future.

This snapshot was captured by Studenti, a Mondadori Media brand and Italian leader in digital education, which launched a survey among its community in the 48 hours leading up to the exams, gathering over 1,000 responses from Italian graduates.

THE RESULTS: A HAZY FUTURE FOR MANY

The survey reveals data that depicts a suspended generation:

• one third of students have not yet decided which path to take after school.
• Only 1 in 5 feels truly ready and confident in their choice.
• More than half of graduates would like personalised support with orientation, even through the use of artificial intelligence.

THE DESIRE NOT TO BE LEFT ALONE

The secondary school exam is no longer just a written or oral test. It symbolises a delicate transition full of questions and expectations.

In recent years, the post-graduation landscape has also expanded, with universities, ITS courses, foreign opportunities, work and volunteer experiences. Without a compass, this range of possibilities risks generating confusion.

‘The need for modern guidance closer to the communication methods and emotional needs of Gen Z is more urgent than ever,’ says the Studenti editorial team. ‘Young people are asking for spaces to discuss and receive clear guidance, even with the help of new technologies.’

As it emerged from the survey, students are asking not to be left alone at this moment. They would like concrete, updated, and accessible tools to navigate among universities, vocational courses, gap years, and first jobs.

Studenti meets this need by offering guides, orientation tests, video interviews, in-depth articles, and dedicated columns specifically for post graduation choices such as ‘Cerca Corsi (Search Programmes),’ the digital orientation tool linked directly to MIUR official data (with 5,800 degree programmes), and Gaia, the first integrated artificial intelligence tool on the web dedicated to education.

Studenti is a brand by the Mondadori Group, an Italian leader in digital education, with 4 million users (source Audiweb – April 2025). It is a reference point for the younger generation at school and more, due to dynamic and constantly evolving editorial offerings marked by innovative language and content. This formula that has allowed Studenti to reach over 1 million followers on social media — including TikTok, YouTube, and WhatsApp — where students can access guides and tutorials to prepare for exams, receive support to navigate their educational and professional future, and find resources to make the most of their student experience in every respect, including personal wellbeing.

Studenti, Mondadori Media’s leading educational brand in Italy with 3.8 million unique visitors per month (source: Audiweb, January 2025), has reinvented itself. In addition to a new graphic design, it has launched Gaia, the first web-integrated artificial intelligence tool dedicated to education.

Studenti opens the door to artificial intelligence

The mission of Studenti is to support young people in school through three fundamental pillars: study tools, orientation, and training.

With Gaia, Studenti helps users study, inform themselves, learn about topics in depth, and create notes such as concept maps, diagrams and handouts that meet specific, personal needs with the help of artificial intelligence in a safe and secure environment.

The Studenti AI tool will also support young people as a tutor and help them in their choice of studies in high school and beyond. Students will find help with complex topics without being overwhelmed by information overload, with suggestions customised to their needs based on the potential of conversational content. Students will find help organising topics and making choices, as well as operational support (in terms of reasoning on the content and its representation), cognitive support (favouring ways to access concepts and assimilate them), and emotional support (Gaia’s human interface will help to create a comfortable study and orientation environment).

• Hybrid Content

Studenti will place artificial intelligence at the service of users within a certified safe place, where technology and content are controlled, reliable, and designed to support study and orientation. In this safe space, students can access advanced features such as hybrid content, that is, traditional content integrated with advanced digital tools designed to simplify and enhance their studies. With this approach, students can turn complex texts into clear summaries, visual diagrams, and dynamic concept maps. In addition, they can create custom study plans, listen to summary podcasts, and find quick answers through smart searches. The result is a new, flexible way of learning that adapts to the needs of each student.

• University Orientation Hub for Choosing Advanced Studies

At a time when selecting the most suitable university programme is increasingly challenging due to the many choices available, Studenti aims to provide tools to handle this complexity effectively.

The first step is a university orientation test administered by a psychologist. This is followed by the “Cerca Corsi (Search Programmes)” search engine, which is linked directly to official Ministry of Education data, helping students navigate the sea of university courses quickly and easily and allowing them to explore all the university programmes on offer. Each of the 5,800 degree programmes covered in the search is presented with comprehensive, certified information.

The orientation hub also includes:

• over 300 orientation guides;
• psychological aptitude tests developed with (and certified by) the brand’s psychologists;
• information on Open Days throughout Italy;
• tips and tools for nonresidential students in Italy and abroad;
• test preparation for departments and limited programmes;
• overviews and suggestions on the careers of the future.

A new visual identity

Studenti presents a new visual identity starting with its logo, which is more versatile and recognisable on all platforms for greater user engagement. The new Studenti also organises content in an innovative way to facilitate navigation between different sections of the site. More welcoming and transparent visuals make the content more usable, familiar, and easier to memorise, with colours and a user interface inspired by study tools (such as post-its and underlining), thus adding more value and making the quality and quantity of the content clearer and more intuitive.

New aspects include enhancement of the TikTok channel, the main social media network where the brand reaches its community of over 900,000 followers and 55 million video views per year. On this platform, the younger generations favourite one, Studenti addresses topics such as orientation, student news, scholarships, and studies abroad using clear language and a fresh tone of voice. Also playing a prominent role are numerous posts dedicated to mental wellness, sexual/affective education, and financial education.

The star of the videos is creator Esmeralda Moretti: a social media presence, TV presenter, radio speaker, and new face of the brand on its TikTok and YouTube accounts. In continuous interaction with the community, Esmeralda stimulates and guides students with advice, interactive quizzes, interviews with experts, surveys, and in-depth discussions on current issues, not only related to education.

Opportunities for partners

The new features of Studenti also introduce multiple commercial opportunities for potential investors through a wide range of diversified branded content and sponsoring solutions for the Gaia tool and Search Programmes. With Studenti, partners can also create themed paths and dedicated hubs according to the season and most important moments for students and their families throughout the year (secondary school orientation from November to January, university orientation from January to October, secondary school graduation from April to June, study abroad from June to August, and back to school in September and October). Focused branded partnerships can therefore potentially begin at any time of year.

Studenti is Mondadori Group’s leading digital brand in Italy in education, with 3.8 million users (source: Audiweb – January 2025). It is a point of reference for younger generations at school, not only due to its dynamic and constantly evolving editorials featuring innovative language and content. This formula has allowed Studenti to reach over 1 million followers on social networks – including TikTok, YouTube, and WhatsApp – where students can access guides and tutorials to prepare for exams, receive support to orient themselves in their educational and professional future, and find resources to make the most of their experience as students, in every aspect, including personal wellness.

Studenti è il brand del Gruppo Mondadori leader in Italia sul digitale nella categoria education, con 3,8 milioni di utenti (fonte Audiweb – gennaio 2025). È un punto di riferimento per le New Gen a scuola, ma non solo, grazie a un’offerta editoriale dinamica e in continua evoluzione, caratterizzata da linguaggi e contenuti innovativi: una formula che ha permesso a Studenti di raggiungere oltre 1 milione di follower sui social – tra TikTok, YouTube e WhatsApp – dove gli studenti possono accedere a guide e tutorial per prepararsi agli esami, ricevere supporto per orientarsi nel loro futuro scolastico e professionale e trovare risorse per vivere al meglio la loro esperienza di studenti, sotto ogni aspetto, incluso il benessere personale.

What are the expectations and how are boys and girls preparing for the upcoming State Examinations? What most influenced them when choosing the path they will take after the exams? What is their opinion on such a topical issue as Artificial Intelligence?

Studenti.it, a Mondadori Group brand and a reference point for Gen Z at school, asked its community in view of the upcoming State Examinations that will be held on 19 June: over 1,600 young people responded within 48 hours.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS NOT A THREAT BUT AN OPPORTUNITY

According to the survey conducted by Studenti.it, the majority of high school seniors (70 per cent) see Artificial Intelligence as an opportunity for their future, given the speed at which the world of work is changing, while only 30 per cent view this new reality with fear.
The recent development of AI has also directly affected the post-diploma choices of 36% of respondents, who said they took this into account when considering their future path after high school. In contrast, 64% stated that it did not influence their choice because they still knew too little about it.

With regard to their future after school, the majority of those who had already decided (45%) opted for university (35%). There were still many undecided (55%) whose concerns will disappear in the coming months, reaffirming the importance of orientation programmes throughout their school career.

THE USE OF SUPPORTS, NOT ONLY TECHNOLOGICAL, FOR STUDY

Studenti.it asked its users what was the tool they used most to prepare for the 2024 State Examinations and how much they used digital tools in their study hours. The PC, chosen by 40 per cent of the final year students, was considered the most convenient device for accessing various learning resources – including notes, e-books and videos – and also the most suitable for long study sessions (over four hours a day for 53 per cent of the final year students).
In total, 3 out of 4 students stated that they use digital media for study (in addition to PCs, tablets 9%, smartphones 8% and AI 7%).
In addition, 27% of young people take dietary supplements to improve their memory and concentration while studying.

HOW TO RELAX AFTER STUDYING

After many hours of study, how do students on the cusp of their exams relax? The Studenti.it survey shows that playing sports (25%) and listening to music (15%) are the most frequently used strategies.

Studenti is the Mondadori Group brand leader in Italy for the digital market in the education category, with 4.3 million users (source Audiweb). It is a reference point for Gen-Z at school, thanks to a dynamic and constantly evolving editorial offer, characterised by innovative languages and content and a team of young creators. This is a formula that has allowed Studenti to reach over 1.5 million followers on social media (Social Insights), on TikTok – where it is followed by 927 thousand users – Facebook, Telegram and on YouTube (StudentiTV) where students access guides and tutorials to prepare for exams.

Studenti, the Mondadori Group’s standard-setting community for Gen Z at school has recorded some extraordinary numbers on the website, for the 2023 Italian high school diploma exams, with a total of 5 million sessions (source: Google Analytics), whilst on social media particularly on TikTok where the brand’s special videos for the exam recorded 13 million video views, up 300% compared to 2022 (source: Iconosquare).

This success has been achieved thanks to important new products: the Studenti.it website has been refreshed with a new logo and a new look  alongside a host of improvements to more efficiently use the huge amount of resources available online from social media and mobile devices. School leavers could access the thousands of resources available and more easily combine the content with searches for more detailed information, summaries, concept maps and even podcasts, available on all of the major audio platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spreaker) and video lessons on the StudentiTV channel on YouTube.

In addition, according to tradition, news about the exam was covered in real time during the days on which the first two written tests were held (June 21-22) through a real live broadcast.

EDUTAINMENT PROTAGONIST ON SOCIALS

For the 2023 Italian high school diploma exams, Studenti played a key role on Gen Z’s favourite social networks: TikTok, for last-minute tips and revision, and Telegram, with a dedicated channel “Maturità 2023” (High school diploma exams 2023) designed to provide real-time support. Studenti has remained true to its purpose of providing support for study, focusing the TikTok channel videos on Edutainment, highlighting its leadership role with the hashtag #imparacontiktok and using fresh, easy-to-understand language.

Resources on TikTok focused on the most interesting topics for the school leavers’ exam and revision. A host of themed videos were produced in collaboration with edu-creators who are already linked to the brand, such as the communicator @scienzaedintorni, ambassador @emanuele_bosi, study coach @letismind, English teacher @antonioparlati and some new entries such as @scescience, the Physics student who engages girls in STEM subjects and @emmalaprofditaliano who shares rules and curiosities about Italian language. The young creators from Studenti want their videos and messages to be genuinely helpful and to be role models and reference points for teenagers too.

COLLABORATION WITH McDONALD’S

For the 2023 high school diploma exams, Studenti entered into a prestigious partnership with McDonald’s, which chose the special project “Road to the exams, good luck to all high school leavers” from the branded content solutions put forward. As the school exams coincided with the launch of #Summerdays from McDonald’s – from 5 to 30 June, with a special offer daily on the app – 5 creators from Studenti designed and produced TikTok videos with useful tips for the final days of exam preparation: “Three tips for the Italian exam”, “The importance of taking a break from studying”, “Avoid these mistakes when preparing for the high school diploma exams”, “The 3 most incredible mistakes in the history of the Italian high school final exam”, and “How to revise when time is tight”. At the end of each video, the creators provided followers with one more piece of advice: relax with a break at McDonald’s, enjoying the app offer of the day. The project was developed in cooperation with Fuse, the specialist branded entertainment unit of the OMG Group.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL TIME

Studenti’s  commitment to supporting its young users and followers does not end with the Italian high school diploma exams but continues throughout the summer with news on the new procedures for the medicine test, post-diploma guidance, and content to help cope with holiday homework.

Branded Content proposals also continue: for  Back To School Studenti, in collaboration with Brand On, a project division of Mediamond, offers innovative and high-engagement partnership formats for the market, with a focus on good intentions for the return to school to engage students, families and professors with issues that also play an increasingly important role as school. These issues will be examined and explained by Studentithrough online surveys, articles, in-depth videos, and with the involvement of edu-creators on TikTok. They will target partners interested in aligning with values that are increasingly at the forefront of GenZ’s priorities such as inclusion, environmental sustainability, mental health, and rapid access to the world of work.

With the 2023 graduate exam, 470,000 students will return to the traditional pre-pandemic exam, with the first and second national written exams and an oral interview. On the other hand, there’s an ad-hoc exam for students from the flooded areas of Emilia-Romagna and Marche.

WHO WILL BE THE AUTHORS FOR THE ITALIAN TOPIC?

Studenti.it – a leader for Gen-Z at school – asked this in a survey of 5,600 girls and boys who responded by making predictions based on the 2023 anniversaries, including the 150 years since the death of Alessandro Manzoni, the 100 years since the birth of Italo Calvino and the 160 years since the birth of Gabriele D’Annunzio.

The anniversaries for these three authors and their importance in the literary landscape put them on top of being the “most likely” topic for the first test for 33% of respondents. 27% expect it to be on Manzoni, 18% on Calvino, while 17% predict D’Annunzio. For the remaining 5% a track will come out on another literary great author, like Italo Svevo (100 years after the publication of Zeno’s Conscience), but there are also chances for Primo Levi, Giuseppe Ungaretti and Luigi Pirandello.

AN ESSAY ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CHAT GPT?

Among the students’ other predictions there is a possible track on artificial intelligence. 76% of respondents consider it very likely against 24% who believe it may be unlikely, because it’s too obvious.

TYPE OF TRACK: THE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY IS THE HIGHLY-RATED

Among the different types of tracks that students will find in the first test, the one that is currently receiving the highest rating (39%) is type B: the artistic, literary, historical, philosophical, scientific, technological, economic or social argumentative essay. However, 36% of the graduates are opting for the type C, an essay on a current topic, while analysing the text of poems or prose – type A – has been chosen by 25% of the graduates.

THE EXAM IN A WORD

The graduate exam is… Studenti.it also asked the 5,600 students in the survey to describe their feelings about the exam in one word. The most cited ones were: anxiety, stressful, panic, hell, liberating, impossible, complicated…but, fortunately, they also cited…growth, goal, important, exciting, beautiful…

Studenti.it
Studenti is the Mondadori Group brand leader in Italy for the digital market in the education category, with 4 million users (source Audiweb). It is a leader for Gen-Z at school, thanks to a dynamic and constantly evolving editorial offer, characterised by innovative languages and content and a team of young creators: a formula that has allowed Studenti to reach over 1.3 million followers on social media (Source Shareablee and social insights), on TikTok – where it is followed by 640 thousand users – Facebook, Telegram and on YouTube (StudentiTV) where students access guides and tutorials to prepare for exams.

For graduation 2023, Studenti, the digital point of reference of the Educational segment, and Webboh, the first community dedicated to Generation Z, offer their partners a one-of-a-kind opportunity to speak to the 470 thousand graduating seniors taking their exams throughout Italy.

Throughout May and June, the two brands’ editorial plan includes a vast range of contents on both Studenti, via its cross-topic expert creators, and Webboh, to speak of the upcoming graduation of GenZ’s most popular idols: a unique offer aimed at reaching the vast range of graduating seniors on their favourite channels, especially on Tik Tok and Instagram, and at supporting them educationally and psychologically in an entertaining way.

Both Studenti and Webboh take advantage of this opportunity to renew their graphic contents and logos: via a restyling of the website and a “special graduation section” for Studenti.it and optimized navigation on Webboh.it, so as to ensure more interactiveness between the website and social communities.

For the brands interested in communicating with the target audience at this specific stage of their life, Studenti and Webboh – together with Brand On Solutions, the Mediamond branch focused on special initiatives – planned original and engaging branded contents for all customers interested:

• the Graduation diary: a series of selfie video contents on Instagram through which GenZ’s most popular young creators will detail their study period by speaking of the most intense moments and emotions preceding their exams;
• POV, I’m graduating: a social video format in partnership with Giulia Bellu (@giulia_bellu – Power Talent Agency creator) and Eva Andrini (@evasfoodaddiction – Zenzero Talent Agency creator) aimed at giving advice on how to overcome anxiety and what to eat while studying in an ironic and gentle tone;
• Vox – The Voice of Graduating Seniors: a social video format with Webboh’s Tiktokers aimed at meeting and interviewing graduating seniors at the school gates during their exam dates and to allow youngsters to share their experiences and emotions.
• After graduation: a great online survey on it concerning students’ choices after the exams and a collection of special web and social orientation contents dedicated to life after graduation: from post-graduation tips to guidance on how to study abroad and other ideas on starting a career.

Studenti and Webboh are GenZ target leaders with respectively 4 and 3 million unique monthly users (Audiweb source) and with over 3,5 million overall followers on their social networks (source: Sensemakers on Comscore Shareablee): an audience that ensures high quality KPIs and above-average engagement rates to its communication partners.

• Studenti‘s graduation special completes its traditional web offer – conceptual maps, premium contents, summaries, – a vast range of original contents from its edu-creators through the #learnwithtiktok hashtag. The brand, which counts over 1,2 million followers, records continuous growth on Tik Tok, which now accounts for about half of total followers.
• Webboh follows the graduation steps of the most popular creators through a gentle and entertaining approach. The post “What were the creators’ final marks?” was among the ten most read articles of 2022 on it. With over 15 million monthly interactions and 2,3 million followers, Webboh is in the top 10 of Prima Comunicazione’s and Sensemakers’ “Top Most Social Media” ranking.