In the conditions of systemic transformations of modern society, increasing dynamism of social life, there are changes in the perceptions and real practices of the young generation, including students. The appeal to the analysis of altruism as a social phenomenon is associated with the revision of the model of further social development based on the spiritual and moral value foundation. The main purpose of the study was to examine the young generation's perceptions of altruism and practices of altruistic behavior. Based on the materials of the sociological survey conducted in the spring of 2024, the object of which were students of the Sverdlovsk region (n=313), as well as a series of semi-formalized interviews (n=34), the article argues that altruism in students' perceptions is selfless help to another as a normative behavior that is formed in the process of socialization under the influence of such agents as family, reference group, teaching community. Despite the fact that students do not identify themselves as altruists, nevertheless, in their life space there are altruistic practices that mark the everyday citizenhood of young people: students donate money and things to charity, give up a seat in public transport and skip the queue, help with homework, help the elderly and old people on the street, participate in the improvement of the city or district. In the structure of motivation of altruistic behavior, the leading positions are occupied by the desire to do kindness, to benefit people and responsibility for the world in which we live. The materials of the study showed the high transformative potential of the modern young generation, the obtained data indicate that altruism becomes a social quality of youth as a subject of social development.