New Media as a Factor of Social Integration of Student Youth of Donetsk and Mariupol (Based on the Sociological Survey)

This article presents an analysis of how new media influences the social integration of youth in territories annexed to the all-Russian space, given the increasing importance of digital communications. It examines the perception by the new generation of their own identity, social connections, and civic engagement in the context of modern geopolitical transformations. Identification of the specifics of the impact of various new media platforms on the dynamics and nature of the adaptation processes of the younger generation. The empirical basis was the data of an online sociological survey conducted among students of DonSU (Donetsk) and Mariupol State University named after Kuindzhi (Mariupol). The survey was aimed at studying media consumption patterns, as well as existing perceptions of Russian society and the state. The results obtained demonstrate that new media are the main channels for informational and socio-cultural adaptation, contributing to the formation of common value-semantic orientations and a sense of belonging to Russian society.