student from 01.01.2023 to 01.01.2026
Krasnodar, Krasnodar, Russian Federation
UDC 30
The article examines the phenomenon of “digital orphanhood” as a consequence of the crisis of traditional mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of experience under conditions of accelerated mediatization and transformation of social institutions. Based on a qualitative methodology with elements of content analysis and secondary data analysis, the social and psychological prerequisites of the phenomenon, its empirical manifestations in digital culture (using the example of the YouTube channel “Dad, how do I?”, fandom practices, and AI platforms), as well as the consequences for the personality and social adaptation of Generation Z, are investigated. It is argued that the digital environment acts not as a cause, but as a compensatory space, filling the vacuum of emotional support and everyday competencies that has arisen due to the weakening of family communication and the dominance of “successful success” attitudes. A reorientation of intervention strategy from combating symptoms to restoring the quality of family relationships and developing digital literacy is proposed.
digital orphanhood; Generation Z, socialization, intergenerational gap, emotional attachment, digital compensation, mediatization
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