Formation of Social and Political Potential of Young People in Conditions of Internet Socialization

The purpose of this study is to comprehensively understand the role of mass media in the formation of political consciousness and socio-political guidelines of modern youth. The opportunities of electronic media to increase the degree of interactive participation of the younger generation in social and political life are revealed. The main risks and threats posed by networked information and communication technologies have been identified through systematic analysis. In the course of the study, the author substantiates that the political consciousness and behavior of modern youth is formed with the growing influence of the mobilization component of the global Network, i.e., “mediatization†and “internetization†of social life. It is argued that the problems of hygiene of media policy, media literacy and improving the information culture of young people remain relevant, given the new challenges of world politics. The propaganda of destructive models of socio-political activity, extremism and terrorism on social networks, as well as the lack of censorship of a significant part of the Internet information space, remains a social problem. It is justified that media educational technologies to increase media literacy and media culture of young citizens contribute to the implementation of their socio-political subjectivity and initiative. Legislative measures aimed at creating an effective and operational mechanism to suppress the dissemination of illegal and destructive information in social media are indicated.