Political values, orientations and ideals of modern youth and their reflection in virtual space

Introduction. The active dissemination of information and digital technologies in the 20th century has led to the fact that the virtual space today has become the main platform for expressing the political, cultural and spiritual values of young people. Representatives of this age group most often use digital resources as a means of self-expression and a channel for obtaining information about changes in the modern world. In Russia, the virtual space is used by various actors to form public opinion and include young people in the political and public life of the state. On the other hand, the possibilities of the virtual space are often used as a tool for misinforming young people, spreading fakes, extremist and radical sentiments. Given the difficult foreign policy situation and the need to ensure the national security of the Russian Federation and protect its population, including in the virtual space, it becomes necessary to study the political orientations and values of young people. Methods. The basis of the methodology of this article is formed by a combination of general scientific, special and applied methods. The choice of the axiological approach as a methodological basis for the study of value orientations and ideals of modern youth made it possible to consider values as an important social phenomenon that requires a specific study that reflects the features of the reflection of political values in the virtual space. Hermeneutical analysis, presented in line with the integration of qualitative and quantitative research methods, is used in the study of the formation of personal identity, values, experiences of the younger generation associated with the expression of their individuality and political preferences in a virtual environment. The semiotic approach was used in the process of studying the sign-symbolic field of modern youth culture in the virtual space. The empirical basis of the study was statistical data that allows us to assess the involvement of young people in the Internet environment and trace the trends in the development of the virtual space in modern Russia. The materials of sociological surveys conducted by the Levada Center and the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center made it possible to draw conclusions about the inclusion of Russian society in the virtual space, as well as about the value preferences of Russians aged 18 to 35 regarding material, family and civic ideals. Results and Discussion. The article is aimed at studying the characteristics of young people as an age group and the specifics of the reflection of their value ideals in the virtual space. The development of the Internet and social networks leads to new problems and potential dangers for the younger generation, which spends a lot of time in the virtual space. It is concluded that the life guidelines of young people are a high level of material well-being, the opportunity to live a measured life and benefit society. Despite the greater awareness of young people about the history and culture of Russia, about the importance of family values, this age group is characterized by the formation of a Western mentality based on the values of consumer individualism. Ignoring the traditional media, young people listen to “opinion leaders”, which makes them more vulnerable to all sorts of manipulations by political actors hostile to our country.