Summary:

“Emerging adulthood” is a period characterised by prolonged education, delayed independence, and an intensive need for adaptation, accompanied by young adults’ (aged 18 to 25/29) perception that they are between adolescence and full adulthood. Although increasing numbers of young people remain in the education system for longer periods, research on their adjustment, mental health, and behaviour in the digital environment is fragmented and often overlooks the developmental specificities of this age group. The aim of the project is to examine, multidimensionally and longitudinally, different patterns of functioning among young adults, including the development of their adaptation to digital and educational environments that are rapidly changing as technologies evolve. The project combines quantitative and qualitative methods, behavioural tasks, questionnaires, and standardised instruments in order to provide a detailed insight into young adults’ adjustment in the context of education, everyday digital life, and mental health. Particular emphasis is placed on positive development, resilience, information literacy, and risky behaviours such as digital procrastination, cheating and AI-assisted plagiarism, cyberbullying, and problematic internet/gaming use. The results obtained will provide a scientific basis for designing educational, institutional, and preventive approaches tailored to the developmental needs of young adults in the contemporary context.