Mental health of modern Russian youth in digitalization: sociological analysis

The article analyzes the peculiarities of mental health formation among Russian youth in the context of digitalization. The author notes that although the topic is widely represented in academic discourse, there is no unanimity of opinion among researchers. Analysis of current approaches to studying the problem of the impact of new media on the mental health of the young generation shows that there is a tendency of transition from the concept of «demonization» to search for positive aspects. Nevertheless, in the author's view, unequivocal assessments of this problem seem to be limited. This raises the need for a clear definition of the positive and negative aspects of this impact. Findings from a study of the impact of virtual social networks on mental health among modern youth are presented in this paper. A number of positive (opportunities for self-realization, communicative mobility, overcoming communication barriers) and negative (leakage of personal data, cyberbullying, dependence on the opinions of others (like addiction)) aspects of the impact of digital communication on the mental health of youth are highlighted.