Value Orientations of Generations in the Digital Age (In the Context of Intergenerational Interaction)

The article is devoted to a sociological analysis of the value orientations of various age cohorts of modern Russians in the context of intergenerational interaction in the era of digitalization. The authors focus on how the digital environment is changing communication between generations and influencing their perception and interpretation of both traditional and modern values. The novelty lies in the introduction of new empirical data into scientific circulation, obtained as a result of our own sociological survey, taking into account traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, reflected in Presidential Decree No. 809 of Nov. 9 2022. The data from the primary online survey (n = 1105, 2023–2024) were used, in which the sample was conditionally divided into three key cohorts: the “predominantly digital” generation (respondents aged 14–29 years), the “transitional” (respondents aged 30–49 years) and the “predominantly pre-digital” generation (respondents in aged 50 years and older). The article presents the main survey materials with the author’s interpretation of the results, taking into account sociological approaches explaining the formation of values of different generations. The data obtained demonstrate areas of value consensus, for example, regarding the value of “Education and knowledge”, and also indicate a pronounced generational gap in the acceptance of the value of “Innovation and progress”, which is very contradictory in the digital age. The study provides an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of changing values and ways of effective intergenerational interaction in modern society. The conclusions of the article allow us to conceptualize the ambiguous nature of the impact of digitalization on intergenerational relations. They can be used for further research in the field of digital sociology and the sociology of generations, as well as in the development of practical recommendations for the harmonization of intergenerational interaction in a digital society.