ETHICS GAP IN ADOLESCENTS’ ONLINE COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The results of contemporary Internet communication studies often conclude that the Internet environment contributes to formation of such attitudes and behavioral patterns as aggressive behavior, verbal abuse, fraud, trolling, bullying and etc. To describe this phenomenon C. James uses the term “the Ethics gap” and refers the loss of sensitivity to the moral and ethical aspects of behavior to it. The aim is to identify to what extent adolescents rely on e-communication and what its content is. From March to June, , an empirical study on the specifi cs of digital socialization of adolescents was conducted on the basis of MSUPE. The study focused on the aspects of online communication among adolescents and included  participants at the age from  to  years. Besides the questionnaire aimed at fi guring out the goals, preferences, potential threats and consequences of adolescents’ online communication and self-disclosure the study included The Problematic Social Networks Use Scale (Sirota N.A, et al, ). Due to the scale results two groups were determined and compared: and  teenagers with low and high levels of problematic use, accordingly. The study fi xed that girls as well as teenagers from one-parent or troubled families are more likely to use social media problematically. The data demonstrate that the majority of adolescents comply with ethical norms of behavior while using social networks. However, violations of moral principles are more common among adolescents with a high level of problematic social media use. They practice obscene language and offensive jokes twice as actively. They are more likely to become victims to online derogatory actions and abuse. More than a half of them experience negative emotions (anger, irritation, pain and annoyance) when they are criticized. At the same time, a third of them listen to the opinions of others and try to work at themselves.