The impact of Western values on marital, family, and reproductive attitudes of youth

The complex impact of Western values on marital, family, and reproductive attitudes transformation in Russian youth in the context of globalization, digitalization, and an ideologically multipolar world has been studied. The purpose of the study is to conceptualize the vague term of Western values, analyze the specific mechanisms of their impact through information channels, and identify the dominant factors that negatively affect demographic orientations. The relevance of the research topic is due to the catastrophic decline in the birth rate, which requires an understanding of the underlying socio-cultural causes of this phenomenon, among which external value influence plays a significant role. The methodological basis of the research was a critical analysis of scientific literature, the comparative legal method, sociological data generalization, as well as the study of information impact practices through the Internet and mass media. The main study results showed that the core of impact is formed by two interrelated values such as personal freedom, which degenerates into extreme individualism and selfishness, and market economy that cultivates consumer attitude to life. This is reflected in the spread of childfree ideology, the practice of cohabitation, the growing number of single households, and childbearing postponement. At the same time, the positive experience of Germany in legislative and financial strengthening of the family institution (pension equalization, joint taxation, and probation period in case of divorce) has been studied. The conclusions of the study indicate the need to develop a balanced demographic policy that, on the one hand, could adapt positive foreign practices of family financial support, and on the other hand, would actively resist the imposition of alien values that contribute to depopulation through protecting traditional spiritual and moral guidelines and strengthening sovereignty in the humanitarian sphere.