The start of the school year is a prime time to witness how today’s tweens, teens and young adults want to present themselves to the world and each other. The #backtoschool hashtag has this year reached 19.7m Instagram posts, 5.3m TikTok videos, and over 500k YouTube uploads.

As students navigate a dual desire for belonging and individualised self-expression, style and status content is key. The main content types for testing out public personas – often straddling both genders – include early-morning get-ready-with-me (GRWM) videos, tribe-signalling outfit-of-the-day (OOTDs), dorm décor posturing, and the status-signalling of back-to-school hauls and #RushTok (documenting sorority recruitment experiences).

Beyond school life’s style-focussed trappings, content about emotional and psychological experiences form a rich seam of insight into many students’ pride in learning, and their vulnerability to stress. From content on the #hopecore to #crashoutcore spectrum (optimism to burnout) to refreshingly candid mental-health-meets-student-life conversations, it’s invaluable intel for brands looking to support young people.

Beyond the back-to-school bonanza, other students globally are establishing a year-round channel of cultural exchange regarding how school experiences differ and align. While day-in-the-life (DITL) vlogs from Japan to Ethiopia highlight routines and rituals, exchange students are comparing notes and sharing wisdom on school and college customs.

A light-hearted attitude to student life’s daily tribulations is generating content dedicated to camaraderie-building and tips for getting by – from pupils but also their teachers and parents. From YouTube’s survival guides and soothing study strategies to #TeacherTok’s solidarity and celebrations of ‘Type B Moms’, this content, grounded in shared humour, illuminates opportunities and tone-of-voice steers for brands to craft campaigns.