Digital Technologies and their Impact on the Social and Psychological Characteristics of Adolecsents

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of increasing the adolescents’ involvement in virtual cyberspace and the influence of activities in it on their social and psychological characteristics, as well as on the features of the critical brain systems functioning. Close and highest values of use by teenagers the frequency as a means of leisure video games and communication in social networks are considered. At the same time, the increase in the number of users with new technologies, according to modern scientific literature, outpaces the accumulation of knowledge about the influence of the information environment on the human psyche and brain, which are forming and developing in new conditions. There are evidence, provided the high values of the use two main types of digital technologies: virtual communications in social networks and video games, which can be associated with the methodical features of surveys and questionnaires and do not reflect the selectivity of adolescent behavior in cyberspace. Scientific sources suggest that a certain proportion of researchers are positive and optimistic about the use of video games in education and leisure, emphasizing their evolving effects on visual memory, spatial orientation and the ability to make correct decisions in uncertain or complex situations. At the same time, there is little evidence of significant changes in verbal-conceptual intelligence. The structure of intellectual functions changes with an emphasis on non-verbal intelligence clearly demonstrate the directional impact of computer games on the highest mental functions, the degree transformation of which depends on the game practice and content of games. The noted negative effects of adolescent gaming activity on the emotional and social characteristics of gamers’ behavior can be associated not only with the gaming time so perhaps with the premorbid features of adolescents, such as depressive experiences. Most researchers on the impact of over-the-counter social media on the psychological and social characteristics of adolescents express similar views, characterizing fans of virtual communication as aggressive, hostile personalities, with superficial assessments and reduced criticism of information in blogs and accounts. This set of properties of users by social networks creates a basis for their involvement in various anti-social actions in cyberspace and real public life. In connection with these facts, it is necessary and possible to research the role of social networks’ commercialization as the causes of the emergence of underage millionaires, bloggers, whose example and success educates much more effectively than school and family. Clinical study over the fascination with video games and virtual life in social networks are in DSM-V in the form of a special form of technology dependences, internet- addiction. Internet abuses based of the specifics of the activity of neural networks, regulating higher mental functions and behaviors. There is the risk of organic lesions of the central nervous system of modern adolescents and social disability of the younger generation. At present, it is not clear the cause-and-effect relationship of premorbid features of abuser and the rate of addiction formation, which certainly requires further research of adolescents, whose leisure time is increase to many hours of action on the Internet and gadgets. The facts mentioned in the article emphasize the relevance and importance of studying psychophysiological and physiological mechanisms, which are most sensitive to the influence of information factors of the environment. It is necessary to formulate a general practical task of preventing excessive fascination with the Internet and gaming by teenagers, the formation of digital diagnostic methods of assessments of brain and mental functioning, as well as corrective psychological and educational activities and programs.