Intergenerational Analysis in the Study of Social Dynamics

The article examines the profound transformations of the labor market and their impact on the position of youth in modern society. The changes are not evenly distributed among different generations, making young people a key group for analyzing the direction of these processes. With the use of intergenerational analysis, the authors make a prediction of how the situation in employment sphere and in society as a whole can develop. Special attention is paid to platform employment as a new global trend that not only alters traditional labor relations but also reshapes the social structure. The study shows that the younger generation today faces increasing employment instability, deprofessionalization and declining job quality, despite having a higher level of education compared to previous generations. The spread of platform labor, the rise of youth NEETs (not in education, employment or training) and structural imbalances in the labor market (e.g., the mismatch between young people’s career aspirations and actual labor demand) indicate a systemic crisis. The socio-political consequences of these changes include declining social mobility, growing pessimism, a generational value gap and other challenges. It is emphasized that the erosion of the ‘wage-earner society’ model leads to the loss of social guarantees and the formation of a new ‘welfare clientele’. As a result, young people increasingly find themselves in a state of strategic uncertainty, manifested in rising drug use, aggression and social anomie. The conclusion highlights that modern challenges require the younger generation not only to adapt to new conditions but also to be prepared for radical changes. The future sustainable development of society will depend on the ability of youth to overcome crisis phenomena, despite the lack of clear prospects characteristic of the current era.