A Word from the Editor

Abstract

The dynamic socio-technological transformations that have been taking place since the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries have irreversibly changed the way individuals and communities function within culture. This is particularly evident in analyses of generations raised or socialized in the era of digital media – especially the so-called Generation Z, which today constitutes not only a significant group of cultural consumers but also its active co-creators. Contemporary “digital generations” live in a reality where the boundaries between online and offline are becoming increasingly blurred, and everyday cultural and social practices are embedded in a media landscape saturated with algorithms, platforms, and artificial intelligence.

This monographic issue represents an attempt at a multifaceted exploration of the condition of contemporary generations in the context of their relationships with technology, media, and digital culture. The collected articles combine perspectives from cultural studies, sociology, media studies, and education, revealing not only changing patterns of cultural participation but also broader processes of transformation concerning identity, social relations, and the mechanisms of work and education.

The issue of digital competencies among parents of Generation Z representatives (Karina Czepiec-Veltzé) presents the digital divide as an intergenerational and socially differentiated phenomenon. An analysis of cultural patterns within Polish cosplay groups (Klaudia Żubryk) demonstrates how fan practices become generational and culture-forming spaces. Joanna Nowicka’s article addresses diverse generational attitudes toward work in the TSL sector, highlighting the importance of technology as a factor redefining professional identities. Themes related to transformations in music culture and the media preferences of Generation Z (Mariola Kokowska, Patrícia Nagyová) shed light on new forms of experiencing sound culture and media consumption habits under conditions of platformization.

The educational and socialization context is explored by the author of a text devoted to the VIHARO model (Györgyi Janková), indicating digital games as an environment for shaping social competencies. A particularly noteworthy example of new media transformations is the analysis of the phenomenon of AI influencers (Łukasz P. Wojciechowski, Michal Radošinský, Katarína Fichnová), which reveals ongoing shifts in the areas of authenticity and trust in social media.

The Varia section complements the thematic scope of the issue, expanding the context with reflections on cultural representations of the future and technological metaphors in the series Black Mirror (Aleksandra Mirek-Rogowska, Kamila Rączy), as well as a review of a book analyzing the practices of social media users (Mateusz Pasek).

All the texts included in this issue invite further reflection on how digital technologies – as a space of everyday life, a medium of expression, and a field of power – shape identities and generational relations. We hope that this issue will become an important voice in the debate on the cultural dimensions of digital transformation, of which we are all witnesses and participants. We warmly invite you to read.

/Agnieszka Ogonowska/