Digital technologies as a safe environment for adolescent socialization

Context and relevance. Due to the active introduction of information innovations into modern life, the problem of digital technologies as a safe environment for the socialization of adolescents has become particularly relevant in recent decades. The younger generation, as the most active group of Internet users, form their identity and social connections in the digital environment, which requires scientific understanding and pedagogical support for the process of socialization in the virtual world. Hypothesis: the digital environment is a tool for teenagers' socialization. Methods and materials. Research methods and data collection techniques: questionnaires (author's questionnaire on preferences in choosing Internet resources; questionnaire on socio-demographic data, as well as enthusiasm for Internet resources); psychological testing (R. Kettell's 16-factor personality questionnaire, California Psychological Questionnaire, K. Riff's Scale of Psychological Well-being). Methods of mathematical and statistical analysis: descriptive statistics, correlation analysis. Respondents: 226 schoolchildren aged 13–16 (137 girls and 89 boys). Results. The dominance of cognitive needs determines the use of digital technologies for educational purposes, while motivation in entertainment orients adolescents to access Internet resources for entertainment. The motivation for demonstration and self-expression in creative products is interconnected with the use of digital technologies to achieve this goal. Meeting the need for communication through online communication correlates with the level of socialization and a positive attitude towards others. The typology proposed in terms of digital technology passion — “Professionals”, “Creators”, “Players” — reflects the variability of motivational orientation of behavior in a virtual environment, as well as fundamental differences in the value orientations of such adolescents. Female respondents have a more pronounced connection with meeting the needs for communication and using neural networks for study, in contrast to male respondents, who have a longer stay on the Internet associated with meeting the needs for entertainment. Conclusions. The personal characteristics of adolescents determine the direction vector of targeted access to digital technologies. The relationship between socialization and the use of digital technologies is manifested through the motivational patterns of personality, which determines the work experience of adolescents in a virtual environment.