"People in my generation who are living on their own salaries don't have such a great standard of living, " says Federica Magro, a 44-year-old publisher in Milan.

WSJ: A Generation In Italy Feels the Fiscal Squeeze

MTV's mega-hit, "The Jersey Shore, " has successfully followed eight dark haired and tan strangers -- Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Jenni "JWoww" Farley, Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola, and Deena Nicole Cortese (replacing Angelina Pivarnick in season three) from the New Jersey shores to most recently, Florence, Italy.

CNN: Obsessions: Snooki killed the video star