One in four Greek teenagers aspire to become Infuencers and YouTubers, a new study conducted by the University of Athens says.
Specifically, the Laboratory of Counseling Science and Career Development at the University of Athens says that young Greeks are influenced by social media and the success stories of young people who make quick and easy money as YouTubers and Influencers. a Kathimerini newspaper report says.
The study found that one in four (25 percent) wish to pursue professions linked to the Internet and social media—such as becoming a social media influencer (on platforms like Instagram and TikTok) or as digital content creator.
“This trend is fueled by the influence of social media appealing to teenagers with a desire for ‘easy money,’ quick wealth, and fame, as well as the perception that these professions do not require formal academic qualifications or years of study,” the study notes. “When you discuss with young people just how difficult it is to become a successful TikToker, their enthusiasm is tempered,” notes career counselor Sissy Karavia, who is also member of the research team.
“However, when you talk to them about the difficulty of becoming a successful TikToker—and the amount of work involved—their enthusiasm wanes. That 25 percent figure masks an underlying sentiment that ‘there is no point in pursuing higher education’—the idea that ‘I’ll waste time and put in effort, only to end up with no money and no enjoyment,'” Karavia said to Kathimerini newspaper. “Gen Z is a generation that hasn’t learned to cope with adversity, even though they are exposed to a vast amount of information via the internet,” she added.
Psychology and criminology
Next in the Greek teenagers‘ preferences—at 16 percent—are professions linked to psychology and criminology. At the same time, there is a distinct shift toward the fields of hard sciences and technology (14 percent), with explicit mentions of computer science and new technologies.
Additionally, 12 percent favor the fields of economics and business administration. This specific direction is often linked to the concept of “entrepreneurship,” as well as to the perception held by a segment of high school students that the 4th academic stream of the Panhellenic Exams (Economics – Informatics) offers a comparatively “easier” route to university admission than the other three streams.
A steady preference for military and police academies persists at lower rates (approximately 6 percent). This is a trend that counselors attribute exclusively to the desire for immediate career placement and job security. Furthermore, the study identifies a secondary trend (accounting for approximately 5 percent) in which the specific field of study takes a back seat during the decision-making process; adolescents select university departments based solely on the city where they would be located—either to remain in their hometown due to financial constraints or to move to a city of their preference—or they generally seek quick and easy solutions (such as short-term programs) to facilitate immediate entry into the labor market.
The remaining 22 percent comprises other study choices.
Lack of information
The most common obstacles for Greek teenagers are lack of information (66.5 percent) and a lack of self-awareness (64.4 percent). “The simultaneous presence of these two factors confirms that adolescents struggle to make sound choices, primarily because they lack a clear and adequate understanding of both their own personal characteristics and the realities of various educational and career paths,” the researchers note.
A significant inhibiting factor is the presence of distorted beliefs (e.g., “I like art, but I don’t think I’ll easily find a job, so let me choose something else”); these are identified by 34.5 percent of counselors as obstacles preventing young people from realistically and objectively assessing their prospects.
Regarding external factors, nearly one in four professionals (specifically 23.7 percent) observes obstacles stemming from the adolescent’s family environment. “Careers are idiosyncratic—meaning each person creates their own professional path. Given that, in this day and age, one might change jobs frequently and hold positions not directly related to one’s field of study, young people need to prepare for the unknown. Parents find this concept difficult to grasp.”
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