This study examines the influence of mass media on the career choices of high school students from Brașov County, Romania, with a focus on their underlying motivational factors. Employing a quantitative design, it draws on data from a standardized questionnaire completed by 1314 students from local high schools. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used in the analysis. While some students identify mass media as a key source of career guidance, documentaries and career fairs are more frequently cited as trusted sources. Students’ perceptions of mass media are ambivalent: 55.1% see it as manipulative, while 41.7% and 24.7% acknowledge its informative and educational roles. Personal motivation emerges as the most significant influence, with 64.8% guided by individual talents and abilities, compared to a lower influence from family or media role models. Correlational analysis highlights the importance of personal development, creativity, and collaboration in career motivation. This study suggests that mass media indirectly shapes students’ aspirations by reinforcing values like social recognition, mobility, and identity. Finally, it reveals a strong link between career interest and expectations for respectful, stable, and growth-oriented work environments, pointing to a pragmatic orientation toward professional sustainability.

Bullying, especially in the context of digitalization, is a global issue that can significantly impact students’ educational and personal development. Our research analyzed the complex and multi-faceted phenomenon of bullying, its prevalence, and its effect on students in middle schools in Craiova, Romania. A quantitative approach was applied using the adopted Save the Children Romania and Olweus questionnaires to a sample of 673 middle school students. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 23, employing ANOVA tests, Pearson correlations, and Chi-square tests, as well as descriptive statistics. Contrary to previous research, our findings indicate that gender (r = 0.041) and academic performance did not significantly predict bullying victimization or aggression (p = 0.079). However, we found that the academic performance of students who witnessed bullying incidents was significantly affected. Interestingly, the descriptive statistics showed that boys reported higher rates of bullying involvement. Additionally, social support (−0.148) and the school environment emerged as important factors in bullying prevention. These unexpected results highlight the contextual and cultural specificity of bullying. We encourage further research to better understand this nuanced and complex phenomenon, focusing not only on victims but also on bystanders. Addressing bullying requires a comprehensive approach to promote a healthy learning environment for all students.

This study investigates the determinants of Romanian workers’ migration intentions towards Italy, integrating economic, social, and psychological perspectives. Based on a sample of 358 respondents, four hypotheses were tested concerning perceived living standards, working conditions, quality of public services, and anticipated integration difficulties. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rho correlation, Mann–Whitney U, Chi-square, ANOVA, and ordinal logistic regression. The results confirm that higher perceived living standards and better working conditions in Italy significantly increase the likelihood of expressing migration intentions, while favourable evaluations of healthcare and education act as additional pull factors. Conversely, anticipated integration difficulties, particularly language barriers and cultural adaptation, reduce migration intentions, indicating that socio-psychological obstacles can counterbalance economic incentives. By combining non-parametric and multivariate analyses, the study demonstrates that migration is a multidimensional process shaped not only by structural opportunities but also by behavioural and psychological appraisals. These findings are consistent with recent research on European labour mobility and contribute to the literature by highlighting the role of subjective perceptions in shaping migration decisions. Implications for policy include the need to address both economic disparities and integration barriers to support more balanced mobility within the European space.

The digital transformation of education and AI usage raises a central question for school organizations and the future labor market: how does the use of generative Artificial Intelligence tools shape young people's motivation to learn? This study examines the relationship between digital technology and AI usage practices and high school students' academic motivation, through a case study conducted at a Theoretical High School in Straseni, Republic of Moldova. The study applies a quantitative, cross-sectional methodology. A structured questionnaire with 29 Likert-scale items was administered to a sample of 123 students from grades 10, 11, and 12, covering both the Science and Humanities profiles. Data analysis combines descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, the independent-samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression. Based on the usage items, the study builds an operational distinction between Active AI Usage (Requesting Explanations and Verifications) and Passive AI Usage (Automated Content Generation). The results support this distinction as the decisive factor behind the motivational effect. Active usage of AI correlates positively with students' confidence in their own understanding (r = 0.280; p = 0.002) and with their motivation to continue learning (r = 0.375; p < 0.001). Passive usage of AI correlates negatively with intrinsic motivation (r = -0.296; p < 0.001) and positively with concern about technological dependency (r = 0.181; p = 0.045). The analysis of variance shows that intrinsic motivation rises with study time (F = 6.16; p = 0.001), and the regression confirms Passive usage of AI as the strongest negative predictor of intrinsic motivation to persist and remain engaged in the learning process (beta = -0.37). Of the ten hypotheses tested, seven were validated. The study contributes an operational active-versus-passive framework to research on AI in education, showing that the impact of AI on motivation depends on how it is used rather than how often. It proposes pedagogical frameworks that encourage active technology use, addressing the conference themes of technological transformation and social impact.

The paper examines the impact of fake news on how individuals perceive information and make decisions. The research is based on an online questionnaire administered to a sample of respondents (N = 275) from the Republic of Moldova (Transnistria), comprising young people and adults active on social networks (77.5% females, 21.1% males and 1.5% not declaring gender). The period of data collection was from 18 February to 2 April 2026. The results highlight that frequent exposure to platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Telegram is associated with more frequent exposure to fake news, especially in areas such as politics, the war in Ukraine and social issues. The model used explains 36.5% of the variance in the perceived impact on individual decisions, 35.3% of the variance in the level of information verification and protection, and 15.3% of the variance in the level of emotional impact. On an emotional level, fake news mainly generates confusion, anger and stress, especially in crisis contexts. These reactions affect the capacity for critical analysis and can lead to uncertainty, information avoidance or lack of verification of sources. On a broader level, disinformation contributes to a decrease in trust in authorities and the media, accentuating social divisions and influencing group decisions through fear, panic and information manipulation. The study highlights the need to develop media literacy, critical thinking and effective fact-checking mechanisms, as well as the important role of online platforms in limiting the spread of fake news. The study provides exploratory empirical evidence on the perceived effects of fake news in the Transnistrian region, an under-researched context characterized by multiple informational influences and specific geopolitical vulnerabilities. The findings provide a contextualized perspective on the relationships between exposure to disinformation, emotional reactions, verification behaviors, and individual decision-making.

The transition from lower to upper secondary education is a critical developmental stage, requiring decisions with long-term academic and professional consequences. Addressing a gap in evidence that often treats counselling, family educational capital, and place of residence separately, this study examines how these factors jointly relate to students’ high school track/profile choice and their intention to pursue higher education in the Romanian educational transition. Using a standardized questionnaire, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1392 lower secondary students (aged 13–14) from Brașov County, Romania, to map preferred tracks, influencing factors, perceptions of high school, and the values framing decision-making. High school track/profile choice emerged as a central “decision node”, strongly associated with participation in counselling p < 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.678) and significantly related to parents’ educational level and university intentions. Substantial urban–rural differences were observed in track/profile choice (p < 0.001; V = 0.442), with urban students selecting the “real” track more frequently (≈68%) than rural students (≈37%). University intention was high overall, with a small but significant urban–rural difference (≈89.7% vs. ≈86.9%; p = 0.028; V = 0.072). Findings support integrating counselling into coherent adolescent career development models and expanding services to reduce contextual disparities through stronger school–family–community partnerships. This evidence is relevant for education policy and practice by supporting the scaling of school-based career guidance and targeted measures to reduce rural–urban disparities.