Adnkronos Rome, October 13 – (Adnkronos) – Over half of Italian kids spend more than three hours a day online, one in two uses artificial intelligence to do homework without understanding its risks and limitations, and nearly a quarter have met strangers they met online. These are the most alarming findings from the Moige-Istituto Piepoli survey of 1.546 middle and high school students aged 11-18, conducted mid-2025. This snapshot reveals how the digital generation is navigating increasingly deep and treacherous waters, often without a compass or a life preserver.
The initiative is part of the "Educyber Generations" social project, promoted by MOIGE – Italian Parents' Movement and supported by Enel Cuore, the non-profit organization of the Enel Group, in collaboration with the Italian State Police, ANCI, Google, Poste Italiane, and with the contribution of the Intesa Sanpaolo Charity and Social and Cultural Fund for the "Grandpa Click Here" initiative. The project's goal is to educate and empower young people regarding the safe and responsible use of digital technology and artificial intelligence, promoting an intergenerational dialogue that helps children and adults understand the risks and opportunities of the connected world.
More than half of young people (55%) spend at least three hours a day online outside of school, and 14% spend more than five hours a day. Smartphones dominate as the primary connection device (93%), followed closely by laptops and tablets. These data confirm that digital life has become a structural component of young people's daily lives, rather than an occasional activity. Prolonged online time creates problems: 43% of young people receive frequent warnings from their families for excessive device use, while only 22% manage to stay away from digital tools without experiencing anxiety. These data reveal an intense and often problematic relationship with technology, which requires greater educational attention.
Social media is the primary social media platform for young people: 94% of the sample regularly uses it. WhatsApp dominates with 87% usage, followed by TikTok (58%), Instagram (57%), and YouTube (55%). Sixty-four percent say they are very or fairly active on social media, while 63% always or often use their real identity. The percentage of those who manage their own channel or account to post videos is 17%, indicating that a minority actively produces content, while the majority remain users. Virtual relationships are predominantly supplemental to real-world ones: a full 91% say they have more friends in the real world than online, but managing their digital identity and the exposure of their content remain critical issues to monitor.
Relationships with strangers online reveal significant vulnerabilities: 30% accept friend requests from people they've never met, and 23% have met someone they've only met online, peaking at 31% among 15-17 year-olds. Sharing sensitive data remains limited (only 5% regularly provide private information), but the presence of risky behaviors, though a minority, is alarming. Sexting, revenge porn, and the sharing of personal content remain marginal phenomena, but the risks associated with a lack of awareness and interaction with strangers require targeted interventions. The ability to discern reliable information is still not widespread: only 35% consider what they read online to be reliable, while 52% always verify news before believing it. Despite this, 48% of young people have fallen victim to fake news at least occasionally, a figure that highlights the urgent need to develop digital literacy skills. The primary sources of information remain family and adults (34%), television (25%), and the web/social media (23%). Only 5% use the internet exclusively, while 70% declare the ability to recognize deepfakes, highlighting the need for more structured training.
Cyberbullying directly affects a significant portion of young people: 7% report being victims, and 16% have witnessed incidents. Overall, nearly a quarter of young people have been directly or indirectly involved in online violence. The most common inappropriate behaviors include exclusion from groups, gossip, insults, and hate speech: 29% have experienced or witnessed such incidents, and a further 36% report them occurring occasionally. Only 12% intervene to defend the victim, and 5% report the incident to an adult, while 7% do nothing. While 73% of young people are aware of the legal consequences, the practical management of these incidents remains critical. Privacy protection is incomplete: only 47% regularly discuss privacy settings with adults, and only 47% have activated filters to limit inappropriate content. 49% of young people believe that social media does not adequately protect children's data, while only 10% express confidence in the measures adopted by the platforms. Managing digital security therefore remains a real challenge, requiring targeted interventions from families, schools, and institutions.
Artificial intelligence has become a major part of young people's lives: 51% use it regularly, peaking at 71% among high school students. When it comes to studying, 29% use it always or often for homework, a percentage that rises to 54% among 15-17 year-olds. However, only 21% have received adequate training on the risks and opportunities of AI, while 33% have received incorrect information from the tools. This educational gap exposes young people to superficial and potentially risky use of AI, underscoring the urgent need for targeted educational programs. The educational role of families is clearly problematic: 45% of parents impose rules on device use, but this supervision decreases as their children get older. Only 16% of young people find specific courses on digital safety useful, while 56% cite dialogue with trusted adults and shared rules as the most effective protection tools. At school, only 21% receive in-depth information on the risks of AI, highlighting the need for a stronger educational alliance between families, schools, and institutions.
Speakers at the event, coordinated by Antonio Affinita, co-founder and general manager of MOIGE, included: Livio Gigliuto, executive president of the Piepoli Institute; Maurizio Gasparri, senator, president of the Forza Italia group; Nunzia Ciardi, deputy director general of the National Cybersecurity Agency; Ivano Gabrielli, director of the Postal Police and Cybersecurity Service; Elena Bonetti, parliamentarian, president of the Commission of Inquiry into the Economic and Social Effects of the Demographic Transition; Lavinia Mennuni, senator, parliamentary commission for childhood and adolescence; Sandra Cioffi, president of the National Users' Council – CNU Agcom; Veronica Nicotra, secretary general of the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI); Fabrizio Iaccarino, head of institutional affairs at Enel and member of the board of directors of Enel Cuore; Diego Ciulli, head of government affairs and public policy at Google Italy; Andreana Esposito, head of sustainable development at Poste Italiane; and Angelica Massera, content creator and spokesperson. of the initiative. A delegation of 45 young ambassadors who distinguished themselves for their commitment during the past school year were also recognized. They came from the following educational institutions: IC Plinio il Vecchio in Cisterna di Latina (Latina), the Pirelli Institute in Rome, and the Via NM Nicolai Comprehensive Institute in Rome.
"Minors are spending more and more time online, in a context where visibility, followers, and digital interactions seem to be becoming the yardstick of their personal value. In the name of this popularity, they often let their guard down, taking risks that can compromise their security and privacy. The data highlights an increasingly intense digital presence," Affinita said, "with a growing use of artificial intelligence, including for educational purposes, but without a real awareness of the risks and opportunities it entails. A shared commitment from parents, institutions, and technology professionals is needed to guide children on a digital education journey that goes beyond imposing restrictions, but helps them understand, choose, and use the tools of the future responsibly." According to Senator Lavinia Mennuni, of the Parliamentary Commission on Children and Adolescents, "protecting young people from the risks of the Internet is a topic I'm pleased to see increased awareness among all educational agencies, schools, families, and adolescents themselves. It's clear, even in European contexts, that the time is ripe to regulate this phenomenon to ensure the greatest possible protection for our young people."
Sandra Cioffi, president of the National Users' Council (CNU), then spoke. She stated, "As the National Users' Council, we have reiterated several concrete priorities: the need for simple, default-enabled parental control tools; truly effective and privacy-friendly age verification systems; and clear rules for influencers and child influencers, protecting minors from overexposure and financial exploitation. Effective digital education programs are also needed, not only for minors, differentiated by age group, but also for families and educators. These are issues that affect the daily lives of young people and families and require shared commitment, not just inter-institutional. To protect minors during this difficult transition period, there are no magic recipes, but stable cooperation is needed: schools must educate in digital citizenship; families have the task of supporting and engaging in dialogue; platforms must assume concrete responsibilities; institutions must ensure rules and oversight. Only together can we build a safer, more supportive, and more inclusive internet." Finally, she concludes, A message to young people: being connected isn't enough to be digital citizens. We want you to be active participants, capable of creating positive content, using technology not just to consume, but to build culture and community. In this journey, artificial intelligence can be a valuable ally, if used with awareness and a critical mind.
"ANCI confirms its commitment to combating bullying and cyberbullying by wholeheartedly supporting the Moige campaign. The collaboration between ANCI and MOIGE, consolidated since 2017 with a memorandum of understanding," said Veronica Nicotra, ANCI Secretary General, "aims to promote awareness-raising and information campaigns nationwide for girls and boys who are victims of bullying and cyberbullying. Municipalities play an important role alongside schools in preventing and combating a phenomenon that, unfortunately, according to data from the latest survey presented today by MOIGE, is a cause for great concern. Over the past eight years, MOIGE's initiative has involved 400 municipalities, which have supported various local activities, and 2.059 schools in the area. A collective mobilization is needed, a shared responsibility between institutions, schools, families, and citizens to protect children's rights, the safety of our girls and boys, and the promotion of a culture of respect for healthy civil coexistence. We are therefore committed to continuing to support the MOIGE campaign against bullying and cyberbullying." bullying and cyberbullying, as an institutional partner”.
According to Giovanna Paladino, director of the Turin Savings Museum, "the Charity Fund decided to support the 'Grandpa Click Here' project, which fosters the transfer of IT skills between grandchildren and grandparents, because it's not just a digital bridge, but also a human one. It strengthens emotional bonds, enhances experience, and stimulates mutual curiosity. Supporting these initiatives means investing in inclusion, intergenerational dialogue, and digital citizenship for all. It's a concrete way to support the construction of a more connected, aware, and supportive society."
Fabrizio Iaccarino, Head of Institutional Affairs Italy at Enel and a Director of Enel Cuore, stated that "the increase in connectivity and the challenges of artificial intelligence must be accompanied by the equally fundamental growth of digital awareness: this applies to everyone, but even more so to young people, who can transform these challenges into opportunities. Enel Cuore stands alongside Moige and all those initiatives that focus on caring for young people and their serenity, to safeguard both their individual psychological and physical well-being and the authenticity of their relationships with others. In a time of rapid change, in which digital identity and online exchange offer new avenues for interaction but also new risks, cyberbullying being one of the most serious, it is essential that institutions, families, and society work together to raise awareness and foster critical thinking about an interconnected world that, to be lived with serenity, must first be fully understood."
According to Diego Ciulli, Head of Public Policy at Google Italy, "For Italian boys and girls, video platforms like YouTube are part of everyday life: they use them every day to learn, have fun, and stay informed. The data tells us this: according to a recent study by Livity, in Italy 74% of children between the ages of 13 and 18 watch videos on YouTube to learn something new for school; 71% to learn something new for fun or outside of school, and 84% of teachers say they have used YouTube content as part of their school learning. Depriving young people of these opportunities to learn and cultivate their creativity would be a grave mistake. However, it is essential that adolescents and pre-adolescents, especially the most vulnerable, are not left alone online. YouTube provides families with protected digital environments, tailored to the needs of minors, and provides parents with powerful tools to decide what their children can and cannot watch and to set time limits on browsing. The tools already exist, now it's up to us – platforms, associations, and especially institutions – to explain how important it is to use them and how to do so." do it as best as possible.”
And Angelica Massera, Content Creator, said that "we live in an era where social networks have become our diary, our showcase, our megaphone. They are powerful tools that allow us to express ourselves, create, and connect. But like anything powerful... they must be used consciously. Social media gives us the illusion of always being 'in touch,' but we aren't always truly connected. They show us perfect lives, perfect bodies, perfect days. But let's remember: they are showcases, not mirrors. And what we see isn't always the whole truth. A like doesn't define our value. A follower doesn't measure our talent. And above all, we must never allow a screen to decide who we are or how much we're worth. Use social media to truly express yourself, to share ideas, emotions, projects. To follow those who inspire and enrich you. But always keep one question alive: 'Is what I'm watching, posting, or commenting on... good for me?' And above all, pay attention to the difference between use and abuse. Be protagonists, not spectators. Be real, not perfect. And remember: your value lies not in a profile, but in who you are... even when your phone is off.