Abstract
<jats:p>The article examines the characteristics, causes, and consequences of the global demographic crisis, as well as the transformation of the fundamental functions performed by the institution of the family as society transi-tions to a new stage of development. It is argued that the intensive development of society leads to instability and the overproduction of social and individual risks, which also impacts family and demographic issues. Par-ticular attention is paid to changing student perceptions of premarital behavior patterns, gender economic roles, and the importance of digital communications as a new social and communicative space, enabling them to establish contacts for the purpose of starting a family. Conclusions are based on the results of an empirical sociological study conducted among students at the Pirogov Russian National Research University in 2024–2025 (1,200 people were interviewed), which allowed us to substantiate the main individual and societal risks associated with the dynamics of young people’s perceptions of desired and rejected premarital behavior pat-terns.</jats:p>