The capacity of blogosphere in the framework of constructing the image of the future among youth

Abstract

Introduction. The study of the role of the blogosphere in shaping the values and meanings of young people is a relevant and little-studied aspect of virtual network communications. The blogosphere today has become an integral part of digital culture and mass media. It has penetrated into all spheres of human life and has become a sought-after resource for young people. Today, blog platforms are not only a serious tool for presenting individual and collective self-consciousness, but also a means of re/forming ideas, attitudes, value orientations both at the level of an individual and at the level of public consciousness. The aim of the article is to study the capacity of the blogosphere and its role in the socio-cultural and value-semantic space of young people, which influence the formation of the image of the future (individual, collective). Materials and methods. Russian and international publications in periodical peer-reviewed journals served as materials. Research method: theoretical analysis of modern approaches to the study of the blogosphere in various social sciences. Research results. It is shown that opinion leaders demonstrate negative forms of self-expression and selfpresentation in the network and construct a complex destructive and controversial image of the future. The blogger's audience: 1) actively observes different models of the image of the future; 2) evaluates the presented models; 3) correlates personal images of the future with the images of the opinion leader and other participants; 4) the majority of the audience accepts or demonstrates acceptance of the presented model. The research outcomes indicate that young people who prefer to receive various kinds of information from bloggers (not the media) trust the content of the information more and are more motivated to take specific actions after viewing the content. Discussion and conclusion. An analysis of modern research has shown that the blogosphere has a huge educational potential, but from the point of view of psychology, it remains a complex and little-studied area. The importance of further research is due to: 1) the transformation of mass consciousness, the intensification of crisis manifestations of consciousness against the backdrop of serious changes on a global scale and in all spheres of human life; 2) an increase in destructive content on the Internet and an increase in negative social activity, which is demonstrated by opinion leaders in the digital environment; 3) the need to create tools that contribute to the formation of competencies among young people, allowing them to resist the influence of negative content on the Internet (including opinion leaders) and their introduction into various educational systems. Keywords: blogosphere, opinion leader, youth, image of the future, Internet