“Digital orphanhood” and the crisis of live communication: the view of a pastor and a psychologisttranslated

On October 28, at the Apostle spiritual and educational center, another meeting was held within the framework of the traditional round table “Spiritual and moral education of children and adolescents.” Participants in the discussion were educational psychologists from educational organizations in the city of Ulyanovsk.

The moderator and main speaker of the meeting was the chairman of the diocesan commission on family issues, protection of motherhood and childhood, dean of the first city district, clergyman of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Burning Bush” Archpriest Nikolai Arkhangelsky.

The topic of the round table was dedicated to the crisis of live communication in the family and the Orthodox pastor’s view on the problem of “digital orphanhood.” This term refers to a condition in which parents are physically close to the child, but psychologically absent, being immersed in smartphones and gadgets.

The meeting participants noted that in such families, empathic relationships fade away. Emotional synchronization between an adult and a child disappears from communication. This leads to violations of the basic functions of the family: the child’s need for safety is not satisfied, emotional intelligence does not develop, the transfer of life experience is difficult, and...