| Summary: | Background. The problem of intergenerational relationships is one of the urgent social problems, which acquires additional complexity and significance in the conditions of digitalization and internetization of society. There are significant differences between the generational groups of Russians in the levels of digital literacy and inclusion in the virtual communication environment. The purpose of the study is to analyze the problem of the digital divide of Generations in the use of Internet messengers and social networks. Materi-als and methods. The empirical basis of the article was the materials of a mass survey with-in the framework of the author’s sociological research conducted in 2020. 620 respondents were interviewed on a representative sample, taking into account the age, gender and terri-torial settlement structure of the population. Results. Slightly more than four fifths of all respondents used any Internet messengers. However, slightly more than half of the re-spondents in the older group did not use any messengers. The younger groups use social networks most actively – almost all respondents, they also have the widest range of social networks. The older group is the least active on social networks – almost half of these re-spondents are “not registered anywhere”. The varying degree of involvement in the virtual communication environment and ownership of digital technologies by young people and older generations contributes to the digital gap between generations and excessive social differentiation in general. Conclusions. The problem of the digital divide between genera-tions can be effectively solved only in combination with solving the problem (overcoming) unjustifiably deep social inequality. Measures to instill computer literacy in the population should contribute to this. In this way, it is also possible to increase the level of adaptation of people to the digital world and significantly reduce the digital gap between generations.
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