National-state identity in the digital age: between patriotic consensus and informational anxiety

Digital transformation challenges the traditional mechanisms of forming national-state identity. If its reproduction was previously concentrated in the hands of the state and institutions (education, culture, traditional media, etc.), today the key agents of influence are digital platforms, algorithms, and online communities. This creates fundamental challenges: fragmentation of the information space, growing distrust in information sources, transformation of civic engagement, and internal tension. The article analyzes the theoretical foundations of these changes: the decentralization of power in the network society, the formation of information bubbles and echo chambers, the dual role of platforms as spaces for both public consolidation and polarization, as well as the phenomenon of coexisting patriotic consensus and critical attitudes toward the authorities. The empirical basis – data from the nationwide sociological monitoring “How Are You, Russia?” – allows tracing how these processes manifest in real public consciousness. It is shown that trust in television correlates with optimism about the country’s future, while the online environment intensifies ambivalence. Civic engagement is shifting to digital formats, especially among the youth. At the same time, a high level of patriotism coexists with criticism of the authorities, indicating a differentiation of civic consciousness rather than its disintegration. It can be concluded that national-state identity in the digital age does not disappear but becomes a tense balance between trust and anxiety, loyalty and criticism, consolidation and fragmentation. This requires identity policy to abandon the monopoly on narrative and move towards its co-production with society.