Institutional Potential of Mass Media in the Process of Political Socialization of Russian Youth

The aim of the study is a comprehensive analysis of the main directions of optimizing the system of political socialization of young people in the context of the development of the electronic media environment. The article identifies and reveals the main problems of the influence of media information flows on the formation of socio-political orientations of young citizens. The mass media were and remain the most important institution of political socialization of the younger generation, having a direct influence on the assimilation of social norms by young citizens, the formation of political values among them and, as a result, the expression by the younger generation of various forms of socio-political activity.An assessment of the role of the media in the political socialization of modern Russian youth showed that the activities of traditional media in the Russian political space are noticeably lost in relation to electronic media resources. In the digital age, it is advisable to assess the possibilities of the influence of various digital media channels on the political consciousness and behavior of young people.The conclusion is justified that young people are not only an object, but also a subject of political socialization. Under the influence of the media environment, this process is increasingly not vertical, but horizontal in nature, when young citizens demonstrate alternative forms of socio-political activity and models of political behavior — from electronic elections to the signing of online petitions, as well as continuously choose from possible images of the world thanks to the activities of electronic media, etc. Electronic media, especially network media, are largely responsible for initiating models of socio-political activity of young citizens. Based on a large factual material, the author considers the media preferences of young citizens when exposed to traditional, electronic and online media. The role of Internet socialization of youth in the activation of institutional forms of its participation in the democratization of Russian society is justified.