Youth, wars, precariousness and loneliness in the 'Next Gen Power' survey
More than 6,000 adolescents in Lombardy recount a present marked by geopolitical anxiety, economic insecurity and distrust in educational institutions. But the myth of 'teenagers who do not want to work' falls
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A deeply concerned generation, but far from disinterested. Young people who are pragmatic, aware, already immersed in the technological transformation and the global geopolitical crisis, but convinced that they must face the future without adequate tools.
This is the picture that emerges from 'Next Gen Power - Young people, the future and new powers: what the new generations really think', the survey promoted by the Hub della Conoscenza and led by Giuliano Noci, with the support of Cassa Padana BCC, Anci Lombardia, the Informagiovani network of Anci Lombardia and the Politecnico di Milano. The survey was presented on 21 May at the Trento 2026 Festival of Economics as part of the panel 'Next Gen Power: young people driving the future (and without the need for rear-view mirrors)'.
The survey, conducted on more than 6,000 upper secondary school students in Lombardy, returns a picture far removed from the traditional stereotypes about Generation Z kids.
The most striking figure concerns the perception of the global future: 80% of respondents consider wars and conflicts to be the main risk to their future lives, while 66% fear economic crises and social instability. Explicit references to the fear of 'not having a tomorrow', of living in an 'increasingly unstable' world and of not being able to achieve the economic serenity experienced by previous generations appear in the open-ended responses.
The research also dismantles one of the most widespread clichés about the younger generations: that of the alleged lack of desire to work. In fact, 54% of students indicate economic independence as their main goal in life, 52% want a job consistent with their passions, and 47% consider the balance between personal and professional life to be fundamental. However, work is also experienced as a source of strong psychological pressure: 60% fear being forced into a job they do not like, 45% are afraid of not finding suitable opportunities and 30% openly state that they feel potentially 'not up to it'.
