SELF-PRESENTATION OF THE WIVES OF COMBATANTS IN SOCIAL NETWORKS DURING WAR CONDITIONS

Abstract

The article highlights the features of the self-presentation of the wives of combatants on social networks during wartime. It establishes that digital platforms, particularly Facebook, serve as essential tools for women to adapt to the challenges of wartime. Self-presentation fulfills adaptive, compensatory, and communicative functions, reducing anxiety, emotional tension, and social isolation. The article emphasizes the importance of psychological and social support received by women through thematic communities and online networks. Profiles of WCBs were analyzed, revealing key communication patterns and thematic directions of content. Notably, 73% of the profiles contain explicit identification of the users as wives of military personnel, while 82% of the visual content includes military-patriotic symbolism. The results indicate that women actively use social networks to create support networks, implement social projects, and mobilize civil society. It is shown that their digital activity facilitates the transformation of social discourse regarding military service, enhances public awareness of the challenges faced by military families, and fosters the emergence of a new subculture with unique communication patterns. At the same time, it is noted that the use of social networks poses certain risks, including the threat of information leakage, necessitating adherence to information security guidelines. The effectiveness of thematic support groups is demonstrated, where an environment of mutual assistance, solidarity, and emotional resonance is formed. The adaptation strategies of WCBs exhibit a high degree of flexibility and include mutual support, professional self-realization, and civic engagement. It is concluded that social networks play a critical role in the adaptation process of WCBs to wartime conditions, facilitating resource mobilization and fostering the development of collective resilience in the face of social and psychological challenges.