Bruno V.V., Ardelyanova Ya.A. Quadrobers. In: Youth of Our City: Subcultures, Movements, Ideologies and Practices (a sociological guide). 2nd edition, revised. ...

Abstract

The phenomenon of quadrobots rapidly entered the public sphere in 2024, sparking an unexpected surge of interest — from jokes on social media to discussions on talk shows and statements by deputies. The phenomenon turned out to be so striking that it quickly went beyond the scope of an internet trend, becoming the subject of controversy. What is it — a new youth subculture, a sports hobby, or a marginal practice bordering on deviance? Despite the contradictory assessments, it is already clear that we are dealing with a multi‑layered cultural phenomenon that cannot be reduced to a single formula. This section presents an attempt to describe, at a first approximation, the cultural characteristics, behavioral practices, symbolism, values, media representations, and public perception of the quadrobic subculture. It also examines the issues related to the history of the movement’s origin and its transformation, analyzes the motives of its participants, and explores the factors of public anxiety associated with this phenomenon. The section is based on the research conducted by the Sector of Deviant Behavior at the Institute of Sociology of the Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (2025), which involved a substantive content analysis of media materials, discussions in online communities (on Telegram, VKontakte, and Reddit), as well as video content posted on TikTok, YouTube, and VK. The analysis focused on identifying recurring themes, behavioral patterns, and semantic structures that are characteristic both of the research materials on the internal communication of community members and of the external public image of the subculture.