Personal resilience to socio-cultural threats in the context of digital transformation of society

Abstract

Introduction. The digital transformation of society determines the presence of socio-cultural threats and risks, which are associated with the instability of the value system of the individual and the distortion of socio-cultural identity as a result thereof. Today, we can observe various violations of the processes of socio-cultural identification, which threaten the psychological security of the individual and the security of both society and the state. Overcoming threats to socio-cultural identity through the choice of productive strategies is possible due to such personality traits as psychological stability, the ability to counteract risks, formed on the basis of social norms, ethnicity, patriotism, and critical thinking.The aim of the present research is to identify the psychological factors and mechanisms that ensure the formation of personal resilience to sociocultural threats in the context of digital transformation of society.Methodology and research methods. The current research is based on the theory of digital socialisation of the individual, socio-cultural identity, as well as on the theory of socio-psychological security. The following psychodiagnostic methods were used: “Scale of subjective well-being” (Perrudel-Badoux, Mendelsohn, Chiche, adaptation by M. V. Sokolova), “Definition of socio-cultural identity” (modified version by Krupenko O. V., Frolova O. V.), “Questionnaire of moral grounds” (MFQ) (J. Haidt et al., in adaptation by O. A. Sychev et al.), “Index of self-assessment of information skills” (Voynilov Y. L., Maltseva D. V., Shubina L. V., in the author’s modification), “Index of socio-cultural security of a teenager” (Scale of virtual autism) (by Gilemkhanova E. N.), and the questionnaire of perception of socio-cultural threats to the digital transformation of society developed by the authors. The obtained data were processed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis (principal component analysis, Varimax rotation), and Spearman correlation analysisResults and scientific novelty. The study showed that students in general have a sufficient level (above average) of socio-cultural identity, critical thinking when working with information, moral norms of loyalty and respect for the authorities, as well as students demonstrate psychological well-being and a low level of virtual autism. Students see the greatest threat in threats to the individual (reduction of live interpersonal communication and withdrawal from the real world; growth of aggression, cyberbullying; growth of information stress) and the state (growth of cybercrime and cyberterrorism). Three factors of social risk of digital transformation of society were highlighted: ethno-cultural risks, antisocial risks, cognitive and communication risks. Three psychological mechanisms were identified that allow an individual to maintain resilience to socio-cultural threats in the context of digital transformation of society: the mechanism of social tolerance (vs alarmism, vs racism), the mechanism of conformity (social adaptation), and the mechanism of psychological protection (coping).Practical significance. The identified psychological factors and mechanisms allow the programmes for psychological and pedagogical support of students to be developed and implemented.