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DOI: 10.15862/09SCSK126 (https://doi.org/10.15862/09SCSK126)

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Kabakova S.A., Velikasov M.A., Lazareva E.I., Siyutkina K.A. [The loneliness of students in the digital age] World of Science. Series: Sociology, Philology, Cultural Studies, 2026, Vol. 17, No. 1. Available at: https://sfk-mn.ru/PDF/09SCSK126.pdf (in Russian). DOI: 10.15862/09SCSK126

The loneliness of students in the digital age

Kabakova Svetlana Alexandrovna
Tyumen State University, Ishim, Russia
Ishim Pedagogical Institute named after P.P. Ershov
E-mail: svetlana-igpi@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1683-9030

Velikasov Mikhail Alexandrovich
Tyumen State University, Ishim, Russia
Ishim Pedagogical Institute named after P.P. Ershov
E-mail: mvelikasov9@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4470-9461

Lazareva Ekaterina Ivanovna
Tyumen State University, Ishim, Russia
Ishim Pedagogical Institute named after P.P. Ershov
E-mail: lazarevakaterina2005@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4072-812X

Siyutkina Kristina Alekseevna
Tyumen State University, Ishim, Russia
Ishim Pedagogical Institute named after P.P. Ershov
E-mail: siyutkina.kristina@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8187-9426

Abstract. The article presents the results of a pilot study of the phenomenon of loneliness among students in a digital environment (based on the data of 3rd-year students at the P.P. Ershov Ishim Pedagogical Institute). The aim of the study was to identify the subjective experience of loneliness, its connection with online communication practices, and the perception of the depth of interpersonal relationships in the digital era. The empirical base was based on a questionnaire survey of 169 students, which was processed using descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis of open-ended responses. The results showed that a significant portion of respondents (about 60 %) experience feelings of loneliness «sometimes» or «often», despite their high level of digital engagement (more than 70 % spend more than 3 hours a day on social media and messaging apps). At the same time, most participants (over 65 %) note that online interaction either does not replace live communication or complements it, but does not satisfy the need for emotional closeness. A paradox has been identified: the presence of numerous online contacts is combined with a feeling of a lack of «a person to really talk to». Respondents associate the decrease in the depth of relationships with the fragmentation, formality, and superficiality of digital communication. At the same time, many note that trusting and supportive forms of interaction are still possible online, especially if there is a prior personal connection. The participants expressed a request for university initiatives aimed at developing emotional communication skills and creating spaces for meaningful interaction, both offline and in the digital environment. The article concludes that it is necessary to rethink the role of digital technologies not as a cause of loneliness, but as a context that requires the purposeful development of deep relationship competencies.

Keywords: student loneliness; digital environment; online communication; emotional intimacy; superficial relationships; deep relationships

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