Facets of the Destructive Role of the Trickster in Modern Youth Subcultures

The paper provides a cultural analysis of the destructive manifestations of the trickster archetype in the space of modern youth subcultures, identifies the mechanisms of its functioning and the sociocultural consequences of trickster practices, and proposes solutions to overcome the destructive influence of the trickster on children and adolescents. A literature review is conducted, and a consideration of the trickster as a modern sociocultural phenomenon rooted in the images of primitive mythology is proposed. The author's approach to the scientific understanding of the sociocultural phenomenon of the trickster is substantiated. Numerous facets of the destructive role of the trickster in modern youth subcultures are presented: destructive practices of the trickster in the digital environment (destructive games and quests that have become online subcultures – Blue Whale, Momo, etc.); support for teenage consumerism; formation of dependence on illusory achievements (the cult of easy success); interaction of the trickster and the involvement of children and adolescents in various addictions, stimulation of adolescent sexualization and objectification of the body. A systematization of the destructive aspects of the trickster in the youth environment is proposed. Scientific and practical recommendations for working with destructive manifestations of the trickster principle in the modern youth environment (pedagogical strategies, psychological support, cultural alternatives and digital projects) are given.