Jungian Archetypes in Generation Z: A Hermeneutic Reflection on Symbolic Manifestations in Digital Culture

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21901/2448-3060/self-2026.vol-11.268

Keywords:

Jungian psychology, complex, collective unconscious, youth

Abstract

This essay proposes a hermeneutic reflection on the possible manifestations of Jungian archetypes in the psyche of the so-called Generation Z, taking into account the sociocultural pressures of the "BANI" world and the burnout society. Based on indicators obtained from a digital questionnaire administered to young people aged 18 to 30, not as empirical evidence of archetypes but as interpretive triggers, a theoretical amplification anchored in analytical psychology was developed. The symbolic patterns observed engage in dialogue with complexes such as the persona, the shadow, the Self, anima/animus, the puer aeternus, and the trickster, suggesting contemporary forms of psychic expression mediated by hyperconnectivity. Digital culture, this article argues, catalyzes archetypal images, shaping processes of subjectivation, identity formation, and the search for meaning among digitally native youth. This work highlights the need for a clinical practice sensitive to emerging symbolic dynamics and points to the inherent limits of using conscious indicators to reflect on unconscious structures.

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Author Biographies

Sílvia Regina Bergantin Muñoz, Universidade Anhembi Morumbi. São Paulo/SP, Brazil.

Specialization in Psychoanalysis from the School of Applied Psychoanalysis and Jungian Psychology at the Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde (FACIS); Degree in Psychology from Universidade Anhembi Morumbi; Degree in Pedagogy from the Instituto Sedes Sapientiae of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP). Works in the field of strategic management and human development. Email: srbmunoz@uol.com.br.

Marcello de Santis Almeida Mazalli, Universidade Anhembi Morumbi. São Paulo/SP, Brazil.

Undergraduate student in Literature and Language at the University of São Paulo (USP); Post-Graduated in Neuroscience at the Faculdade Sírio-Libanês; Degree in Psychology from Universidade Anhembi Morumbi.  Continuing education in Digital Health at the Universidade Aberta do Sistema Único de Saúde (UNASUS). Dedicated to the interface between psychoanalysis, literature, and subjectivity, with an emphasis on psychogerontology, grief, and sexual and gender diversity.

Márcia Cristina dos Reis, Universidade Anhembi Morumbi. São Paulo/SP, Brazil.

Full professor, researcher, and undergraduate research advisor at Universidade Anhembi Morumbi.  Master's degree in Hospitality and specialization in Higher Education Teaching from Universidade Anhembi Morumbi. Psychoanalyst from the Instituto Brasileiro de Psicanálise Clínica (IBPC). Psychologist. dedicated to themes related to mental health, human development, and worker health.

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Published

2026-07-28

How to Cite

Muñoz, S. R. B., Mazalli, M. de S. A., & Reis, M. C. dos. (2026). Jungian Archetypes in Generation Z: A Hermeneutic Reflection on Symbolic Manifestations in Digital Culture. Self - Revista Do Instituto Junguiano De São Paulo, 11, e007. https://doi.org/10.21901/2448-3060/self-2026.vol-11.268

Issue

Vol. 11 (2026): Self - Revista do IJUSP

Section

Original research article

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