The fateful May 4th is approaching, what for many is considered a watershed, between before and after. The before the start of the quarantine for Italian families, after the long-awaited "phase 2" which causes concern but at the same time gives some hope. There is no doubt that in these weeks of forced stop to all activities it was the young people who were the protagonists. Forced to stay at home, to change everything in their daily lives, to try their hand at distance learning. They are now leading the families. And so recent research has focused precisely on the new generations. Let's see a bit of what it is.
Phase 2 and the leading role of young people
MTV's Youth and Future Observatory is a survey on Italian under-30s promoted by ViacomCBS Networks Italia. The study was done precisely to understand how young people were experiencing this phase of emergency. The analyzed sample of 1000 young people between 16 and 30 years old. Several parameters were taken into consideration: the role of technology, trust in institutions, commitment to the community, the uncertain future. “The data we collected during this health emergency point straight to a conclusion - said Andrea Castellari, EVP and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks Italy, Middle East and Turkey - we must start from the young. The young people are asking to be recognized as a resource on which to invest, in the long path towards the relaunch of our economy, to no longer be considered as 'a system burden'.
The new organization of quarantined families and towards Phase 2
So what changed with the start of the quarantine. The life of young people has been turned upside down, not only in the use of the means that technology offers, but also in relationships. So let's report some data. 36% of the sample is rediscovering important relationships they previously took for granted. And 38% think their families will be more united after the emergency ends. But 23% of young people do not hide, however, that spending much more time with family members is an element of stress.
The role of technology
And it is undeniable that the new generations have a different approach with new technologies. They are the ones who pick up tablets, mobile phones, PCs and organize the life of the family. Video calls with relatives and friends, games and the use of social networks. Young people are "accelerators" of the digital transformation within their own homes, towards parents and adults. And this will play a decisive role in phase 2.
The gaze of young people towards institutions
The research also focused on the role of national and international institutions in understanding what young people think. And if on the one hand 82% of the sample has confidence in the Civil Protection and a good percentage also in private companies that have made donations, they are critical of European institutions. In fact, 53% of the sample trusts less in European institutions, only 1 interviewee in 4 thinks that Europe will help Italy out of the crisis, and even 68% believe that Italy has been left alone by the EU in managing of the epidemic.
Doubts and uncertainties about the future
The greatest concern for the future concerns above all the children who will have to face the final exams. They tried their hand at distance learning but hoped that the final exam was different. The school remains the place of growth where they lived their best years. And in fact the data speak for themselves: 94% of the sample does e-learning, 65% is satisfied, but 8 out of 10 children think that the direct relationship with classmates and teachers is irreplaceable. And still many of them 67 percent in the last year of high school worried about the repercussions that could be there for accessing the university. Hence their proposals for an exam commensurate with the program carried out, internal commission or even admission for all students, with only oral exam. We'll see what happens.
