Encounters with totalitarian objects in the super-ego development of Generation Z adolescents

Abstract

Over the past three years we have encountered social processes that have shattered our steady way of living: the COVID pandemic, social unrests and splits after presidential elections, the war in Ukraine. Adults with a post-totalitarian personality have experienced a re-activation of their inner totalitarian objects, but “Gen Z” adolescents without the personal experience of living in a totalitarian system react differently to current realities. Practitioners are witnessing a dramatic increase in social anxieties and anorexia nervosa – psychopathologies characterized by the introjections and projections of intrusive controlling objects, a strict punitive super-ego that resembles the dynamics of inner totalitarian objects. This can be attributed to the increased exposure to the Internet during the COVID-related social isolation, with a decreased possibility for reality testing. The Internet acquired an overbearing influence on all domains of personality development for Generation Z individuals, including on the super-ego. The Internet houses totalitarian cyber-objects that increase their presence and influence in situations of social and developmental unrest, impinge on the development of psychic structures, and can lead to related pathological psychodynamics.

Key words:

• adolescents
• Generation Z
• totalitarian object
• COVID-19 pandemic
• cyber objects

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

There is no funding or grant awarded related to this submission.

Notes on contributors

Darius Leskauskas

Darius Leskauskas, M.D., Ph.D., Prof. in Psychiatry Department of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LUHS). Head of post-doctoral studies in psychotherapy in LUHS. More than 20 years practicing as adult and adolescent psychiatrist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist. Ex-chairman of Kaunas Society for the Studies in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, training and supervising analyst. Member of Executive Committee of International Federation of Psychoanalytic Societies (IFPS). Co-author in textbooks “Psychodynamic psychiatry”, “Psychotherapy” and others. Current field of scientific interests – impact of cyber-technologies and COVID-19 pandemic on normal and pathological development in adolescence.