Cultural profile of Ukrainian generation Y: influence of COVID-19

Abstract

The pandemic of the coronavirus infection COVID-19 caused large-scale socio-economic changes in the world and affected all spheres of society in all countries of the world. The interruption in work activity and the closure of companies and enterprises led to changes in the labor market, an increase in unemployment, and significantly reduced the quality of life of millions of people. Negative labor market trends associated with the economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to job losses in many sectors of the economy. An additional factor causing increased stress and the emergence of fears is the uncertainty of the economic situation, the impossibility of planning and building a professional perspective. The inability to predict one's life and influence what is happening, a high degree of uncertainty in the economic situation, cause stress and, as a result, emotional exhaustion, which deprive a person of self-confidence, lead to a sense of instability in life and loss of future prospects. A person's involvement in a negative information space and a long stay in conditions of uncertainty causes a decrease in all types of activity, blocks the desire and ability to find and use even simple ways to overcome difficult situations. This study analyzes how the cultural profile of Ukrainian most economically active generation, generation Y, has changed. The cultural profiles of this generation before the start of the pandemic (2018) and during the pandemic (2020) were compared.