••• education research
Grading out life after college
Recent graduates list successes and regrets
Nine in 10 recent college graduates had a positive college experience, and 84% maintain a positive outlook on their lives overall, according to a Sallie Mae and Ipsos study. Eighty-two percent of recent graduates are employed with 74% working in a field related to their degree. Just 14% of recent graduates say they feel unsuccessful after college.
Some recent graduates say the most valuable parts from their college experiences were the intangible benefits of higher education including becoming more independent (45%), developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills (40%), exploring personal interests and growth opportunities (31%) and broadening their perspectives (21%). Others highlight the practical aspects of higher education as most valuable, such as academic learning and coursework (42%), building personal and professional relationships (29%), gaining work or internship experience (25%), experiencing campus life (21%) and participating in extracurricular activities or clubs (13%).
Eighty-five percent of recent graduates feel successful with the amount of time and effort they put into academics, 84% say they had at least one professor who truly cared about their success and 78% believe their college was supportive of their academic and social needs. Thirty-five percent regret not spending enough time socializing or building relationships and 64% regret not taking full advantage of the college experience and resources. Twenty-eight percent wish they could change some of their choices with 18% saying they would have chosen a different major.
When it comes to family relationships, 91% of grads who left school three to five years ago rate it as excellent, very good or good vs. 84% of grads who left zero to two years ago. Living situations (49%), prospects for future career (44%), romantic relationships (43%), prospects for future income (42%) and social life and friendships (41%) are rated as excellent/very good.
Recent graduates view success as achieving a balance between life and career. Financial health is the top indicator of success, cited by 46% of graduates, followed by mental health (36%) and career prospects (30%). While 70% of recent college graduates rate their mental health positively, it is also one of the top areas they want to improve (40%).
Seven in 10 agree that education was worth the cost. Of the 47% of recent graduates who borrowed to help pay for school, 75% say they are confident in their ability to repay their student loans. Nearly half of recent graduates (48%) say they follow a budget and 94% are pursuing at least one near-term financial goal including saving for retirement (47%), saving for a major purchase (44%) or building an emergency fund (37%).
Seventy-five percent of those who developed a plan for how to pay for all years of college before enrolling report they feel successful, compared to 54% of non-planners. Just 37% of recent graduates used their school’s career resources and of those who did, 82% secured a first job in their field of study.
Most recent graduates worked while in school. Eight in 10 (83%) worked in some capacity during their college career. Nearly half (47%) held an off-campus job, 31% worked on campus and 29% had an internship. Graduates who had an internship while in college were more likely to be employed in their field of study and feel very successful after graduation.
As methods of self-care, 64% enjoy watching TV or movies, 60% enjoy spending time with friends or family, 48% browse social media, 47% play video games, 44% exercise and 37% spend time outdoors.
The study reports the results of Ipsos’ online interviews of 1,045 young adults who graduated college with an undergraduate degree between 2019 and 2024. The research was conducted between December 13, 2024, and January 9, 2025.
••• leisure research
Great interest in the great outdoors
Discovering the joys of camping
Over 80 million Americans camped in 2024, with 5.8 million making their camping debut, found a survey conducted by Toyota Trucks and camping app The Dyrt. Since 2021, more than 25 million Americans have gone camping for the first time, an increase of 18.5 million from 2021.
Four out of five American adults have gone camping at least once. Forty-five percent of those 18-34 say their interest in camping has increased in the last decade and three out of 10 adults who camped for the first time in 2024 were under 35. Thirty-one percent of the overall camper population identify as BIPOC and 12% identify as LGBTQ+.
Four out of five say inflation either caused them to camp more or did not affect their camping activities. Seventy-three percent of respondents say they camp with their partner, 39% camp with friends and 31% bring their children. Respondents also report camping with horses, rabbits, parrots, bearded dragons and fish but the most common animals were dogs (50%) and cats (5%). More than half (60%) of 18-34-year-olds prefer tent camping and camping with friends (58%).
Fifty-nine percent of campers used all their campsite reservations in 2023 and that number rose to 71% last year. But finding an available campsite to book continues to be a major challenge. From 2019 to 2022, the number of campers who reported difficulty finding a campsite to book rose from 11% to 58%. After falling to 46% in 2023, it bounced back to 56% in 2024.
While many view camping as a vacation or as a way to be off-grid, 22% of 18-34-year-olds, 33% of 35-54-year-olds and 22% of campers 55+ are likely to work while camping. Those 55+ have made after retirement camping plans with many saying they will visit national parks (79%), try open-road exploration (74%) and free camping (64%). Thirty percent plan to take a camping trip with grandkids.
Solo camping is on a steady incline. Many say they enjoy the solitude (69%) or go alone because friends and family are not always available (51%). Others enjoy last-minute trips (28%) and camp as a part of a larger solo trip (26%).
This report is based on a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. residents in a survey administered by E2E Research Services in October 2024 and surveys of over 5,000 users of The Dyrt in October and November 2024.
••• gaming research
Not really free-to-play
Gamers allocating more money to in-game purchases
Gaming is continuing to surge in popularity as new trends and technologies are reshaping the landscape. Research firm KS&R found that microtransactions are on the rise and games are making large profits from small spends. Thirty percent of 18-41-year-old gamers have recently purchased in-game content such as skins, battle passes and XP boosts while playing free-to-play games. These frequent, small purchases are becoming a cornerstone of gaming monetization strategies, transforming how developers and publishers think about revenue generation. Many players now view these purchases as a regular part of their entertainment budget, and as gamers allocate more money to in-game purchases, there may be a corresponding decrease in spending on other forms of entertainment.
Augmented reality (AR) games, which offer immersive and interactive gaming experiences, are becoming more well-known. Among 13-17-year-old gamers who own virtual reality headsets, 51% are using them for simulation games. However, nearly four in 10 (39%) of 18-41-year-old gamers are still not familiar with these gaming options. Forty percent of those who learn about AR games say that they would enjoy playing them.
Online gaming is a deeply social activity, and player conversations while gaming are now a core part of the experience. Through voice, text and video chat, players connect, strategize and build communities. Overall, more than half of gamers engage in virtual conversations while playing, and engagement is even higher among younger gamers. Seventy-seven percent of 13-17-year-olds, 76% of 18-25-year-olds, 61% of 26-41-year-olds, 32% of 42-57-year-olds and 18% of 58-76-year-olds say they engage in social conversations with others while gaming. There is a clear demand for specialized communication tools for the gaming community. Discord has become popular for gaming chats but many players still use more general apps such as FaceTime.
KS&R conducted a nationwide survey of 3,650 consumers ages 13-76 to explore how gamer preferences are evolving and identify the biggest emerging opportunities in the gaming industry.
••• financial research
From soft saving to loud budgeting
Turning to social media for advice
There has been a generational shift in financial education, with younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, increasingly turning to social media for financial tips and education, while older generations more heavily rely on traditional sources like family and banking institutions, finds Spruce, the mobile banking app built by H&R Block. Traditional sources of financial education are being supplemented – and in some cases, supplanted – by newer sources, often on platforms where the origin or the validity of the guidance may not be clear.
Parents and banking institutions remain the most common sources of financial education. While the landscape is evolving, key findings highlight a critical gap in formal education. Thirty-one percent of respondents cite family members as the main source for financial guidance, 29% turn to banks and only 13% reported learning about personal finance in school.
Social media has become a popular source of financial information, particularly among younger generations, with 16% of all respondents looking to it for financial education. Gen Z leads the charge as 33% note that they look to social media for financial education with Millennials following closely behind at 23%.
Viral trends including soft saving, loud budgeting and cash stuffing have played a significant role in shaping financial behaviors with 37% of respondents admitting they have been swayed by social media and have tried a finance trend they discovered online. The influence of these trends varies dramatically across generations with Gen Z impacted the most at 68%. Over half (51%) of Millennials and 27% of Gen X cite being inspired to try social media finance trends and while not as likely as other generations, 12% of Baby Boomers still noted being influenced to partake in a financial trend.
Among the platforms driving this shift, TikTok (39%) and Instagram (34%) are the most popular sources of financial information for Gen Z, followed by Facebook (23%) and even podcasts (17%), highlighting the growing impact of digital content on personal finance decisions, particularly among younger generations.
Online financial tools and apps have become essential for money management, with Millennials and Gen Z being the most likely to utilize them for everyday matters such as keeping track of a budget, planning or establishing savings. Credit score monitoring emerged as the most common use case among respondents (38%). Budgeting was cited as a key priority, with 29% of respondents using financial tools or apps to track their expenses.
Reliance on digital financial tools extends beyond convenience. Confidence in making major financial decisions is bolstered by online tools or apps. Sixty-six percent of Gen Z share that they are not confident or only somewhat confident in making large decisions without digital assistance.
Research was conducted with Morning Consult via online research on the omnibus fielded in March 2025 among a national sample of 2,200 adults.
••• employee research
Workplace challenges
Mental health stigma persists
While mental health challenges among employees vary in degree, the problem is widespread. The vast majority (90%) of U.S. workers experienced some level of a mental health challenge – most commonly burnout, depression and anxiety, finds nonprofit organization Mind Share Partners.
Over half experienced moderate to severe levels of burnout (53%), depression (53%) or anxiety (50%). Others say they experienced minor to severe levels of burnout (76%), depression (72%) and anxiety (70%). People pointed to U.S. politics (43%), global events (42%) and personal finances (37%) as top stressors. Ninety percent of U.S. workers reported at least minor levels of one mental health challenge and 53% of challenges lasted at least two months up to an entire year.
The good news: Investing in mental health pays off in employee health care costs and retention. Employees who work at a company that supports their mental health are twice as likely to report they didn’t experience burnout and depression. They’re also three times more likely to trust their company and intend to stay there for two years or longer. Forty-eight percent have left jobs for mental health reasons and 57% say a company supporting mental health is “very” or “extremely important” when job searching.
Stigma in the workplace remains high. Forty-six percent worry about losing their job if they were to talk about their mental health at work. While half are comfortable talking about their mental health in the workplace, half wish they could talk more openly about it. Sixty-seven percent of workers have talked about their own mental health at work in the past year, 41% have spoken about it in the past month and 60% say they got a positive response. Workers feel comfortable speaking about their mental health with colleagues (52%), their manager (52%), someone in HR (48%), senior leaders at their company (47%) and their CEO (46%).
Sixty-three percent say work positively impacts their mental health while 39% say it negatively affects them. Over half of respondents (59%) believe their company supports their mental health, 58% say their leadership advocates for mental health at work, 57% say their manager checks in regularly about their well-being and 64% believe their manager could support them if they have a mental health challenge.
In partnership with Qualtrics, Mind Share Partners surveyed 1,153 full-time employees from March 20-April 15, 2025.
••• leisure research
Embracing the power of play
How having fun can foster connection and bridge differences
Mattel’s The Shape of Play study highlights the growing need for play and its valued, lifelong benefits and critical role in fostering well-being, rebuilding connections and restoring happiness. Amid rising stress and screen time, social isolation and joylessness, the study shows how play is valued by all and helps people cope, connect and thrive.
Play isn’t just for kids. Ninety-four percent of respondents agree that play matters at every age and 79% believe that it has the power to bridge social differences. Eighty percent of people say play can happen anywhere, 85% see it as integral to daily life and 62% say it is a mind-set or attitude. From childhood adventures to adult passions, play fosters joy and deepens our human connections.
Over half of people globally prioritize relationship-building through play. In a world of stress and disconnection, play is the antidote with 87% saying it helps combat isolation and loneliness. Whether through toys, games, pets (as 84% of respondents said) or online games (62%), play lifts our spirits and bridges social differences across generations, cultures and communities. Forty-eight percent say organizing is playing, over half (51%) say using AI is playing and 64% of teens consider content creation on platforms like TikTok and YouTube a form of play.
However, play is under pressure and we’re feeling the loss. Seventy-four percent of 18-34-year-olds say it is harder to connect with people today than in the past. Over half of kids feel “part adult” and 70% of adults still feel “part child,” yet one in three say they don’t play enough. Fifty-one percent say they don’t have enough time and 38% say they don’t have anyone to play with.
Forty percent of people typically play in 10-30-minute doses and some play in bursts of under 10 minutes. These micro-moments of joy include playing a game on your phone while waiting to meet someone or making a game out of household tasks. Nearly 70% of respondents say their most creative ideas come through play and 70% believe it can be used to achieve important goals. Across the globe, play takes many forms but its impact is universal. From joy and triumph in Finland to connection in Brazil and experimentation in South Africa, play reflects culture and reveals what connects us all.
The Shape of Play survey was commissioned by Mattel and conducted in partnership with insights and strategy studio MADO and supported by Dynata. Data was collected from 33,449 respondents across the U.S., China, Japan, Germany, Finland, Brazil and South Africa in March and April 2024.