The Communication Style of Adolescent Characters in the Plays of Igor Vitrenko and Vlada Olkhovskaya

Abstract

This article examines the communication styles of adolescent characters in contemporary Russian drama. The analysis focuses on how language use and communicative strategies reflect the processes of maturation, identity formation, and the influence of both social groups and virtual environments. The author emphasizes that the online sphere functions not merely as a channel for information exchange, but also as a tool for manipulation, a space for experimenting with social roles, and a medium for identity exploration. The findings demonstrate that contemporary plays place particular emphasis on issues such as dependence on virtual authorities, generational conflicts, and the risks associated with online peer pressure. A comparative analysis of recent Russian dramatic works highlights diverse approaches to adolescent communication, ranging from the depiction of manipulation as a confrontable threat to a vision of digital culture where the boundaries between victim and manipulator are fundamentally blurred.