The Transformation of Social Practices in Older Adults Through Digital Tools (A Case Study of Messenger Chat Creation and Self-Organization)

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the “Active Pensioner” virtual community as a successful model of digital adaptation and social integration for older adults. A key element of this model’s success is its effective organizational structure, manifested in the division into thematic groups “Communication” and “Announcements.” This division reflects the participants’ inherent drive to achieve a balance between emotionally expressive interaction and efficient information exchange. This approach minimizes information overload while significantly enhancing the quality and relevance of group communication. The community’s development trajectory, evolving from a single initial group into a complex, structured system, clearly demonstrates the principle of social self-organization, theoretically grounded in the work of N. Luhmann. Empirical data confirm that a stable order within the community emerges from numerous “bottom-up” interactions rather than being imposed through “top-down” administrative control. Within the “Communication” group, an organic distribution of social roles – such as moderators, experts, creators, and activists – is observed, along with the formation of a stable core of the most active participants. This creates an autopoietic social system capable of self-reproduction and maintaining its own boundaries.The most significant theoretical conclusion of this work is the identification of a symbiosis between the two forms of social capital as defined by R. Putnam. In the digital environment of the community, bonding social capital, based on mutual support, a shared age identity, and emotional closeness, and bridging social capital, which provides access to diverse information and external social connections, do not oppose but rather mutually reinforce each other. This symbiosis gives rise to a new, hybrid form – “digital social capital,” characteristic of the communicative practices of the modern era. The community’s functioning is ensured by a balanced normative system that combines traditional values of mutual aid and respect for age with critical thinking and adaptability to new technologies. This system is supported by flexible mechanisms of social control, including positive reinforcement through approving reactions and soft sanctions aimed at behavioral correction and information verification. The study proves that digital technologies do not replace traditional forms of sociality but, when properly integrated, open new avenues for maintaining social activity, overcoming isolation, and constructively rethinking life experience in old age.