Online learning: new circuits of student fears and worries during the pandemic

The paper examines online learning as an innovative practice, the frequency of which has increased dramatically during the pandemic. This caused significant changes in students’ assessment and perception of online technologies, and also caused the formation of new fears in the context of digitalization of education. A comparative analysis of two stages of the survey of Ural Federal University students (2019, n = 150 and 2020, n = 70) made it possible to demonstrate changes in the structure of motives for refusing to use online education and in highlighting its significant shortcomings against the background of the pandemic. The main areas of growth of social fears of students in online learning are highlighted: social isolation, changes in requirements for the students themselves, the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, a decrease in health potential, etc. The main field of activity of young people - education - becomes a source of growth of social fears and anxiety.