Digital factors as drivers of anxiety in Russian Generation Z

Abstract

Analysis of international scholarship on anxiety in the context of digitalization reveals an imbalance between theory and practice. Simultaneously, Russian psychological science lacks sufficient psychodiagnostics tools to effectively study digital drivers of anxiety. Systematized international research adapted for the specifics of Russian society can provide a foundation for the development of appropriate psychometric techniques. The development of such tools is highly relevant, as it addresses a core need within psychological science to advance its methodological apparatus. The purpose of the reported study is to identify the digital factors involved in anxiety among Generation Z in Russia. Based on a theoretical analysis of international studies, three groups of digital anxiety factors were identified: digital devices, digital technologies, and digital space. To determine the specific contribution (significance and content) of each factor in the development of anxiety, we conducted seven interviews with representatives of Russian Generation Z. The study found an inextricable link between digital devices and digital space in the respondents’ perception of digital threats. While the respondents could conceptionally distinguish between these two notions at an abstract-logical level, the Internet was perceived primarily as a digital technology rather than as a digital space. The content of each group of digital anxiety factors was only partially elucidated. Analysis of respondents’ answers indicated that locus of control and the specific content of the digital space significantly influence the development of anxiety. The novelty of the study lies in its qualitative approach to investigating the digital factors of anxiety within the Russian Generation Z cohort.