Self-realization vs. Family: The Generation Z Dilemma in the Context of Demographic Policy (The Case of Russian Students)

The article focuses on socio-psychological factors that hinder family formation and childbearing practices among young people, including students. The search for solutions to the challenges associated with the implementation of modern Russia’s demographic policy in the youth and student environment is carried out using an agent-structural model from the standpoint of social constructivism. Based on a stratified sampling survey of undergraduate and graduate students (n = 304) from Moscow, Vladivostok, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Surgut, and Cheboksary, it is concluded that the generational factor is of paramount importance in planning and creating a family, which is currently overlooked by demographic policy planners. The socio-economic tools currently proposed and applied serve only as an intermediate link in shaping young people’s sense of confidence in the future, which is in fact a prerequisite for starting a family. Uncertainty about the future and concerns regarding the well-being of potential children are significant factors influencing respondents’ reproductive intentions. The study puts forward proposals that could transform Generation Z’s underlying anxiety and reframe their fear of an uncertain future, using it as an emotional trigger to reset decision-making mechanisms. This publication contributes to the development of the current demographic agenda.