Virtual downshifting as a strategy to overcome internet addiction among young people (a sociological survey of the youth in Kirov)

In the digital era, the Internet plays a major role in professional, educational, and leisure activities of people. The Internet is in high demand for the younger generation as an information resource and a means of communication. For today’s youth, it is a space to meet a variety of needs. The authors examine the factors affecting the development of Internet addiction on the macro and micro levels and identify the techniques for dealing with this phenomenon. The focus is on downshifting and its subtype, i.e. virtual downshifting. The study provides a detailed sociological analysis of virtual downshifting as one of the rational ways to overcome Internet addiction by a case study of the youth in the city of Kirov. The data obtained revealed a correlation between the way of life of young people and their strive for virtual downshifting.