USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE SPIRITUAL FORMATION OF THE YOUNG GENERATION

Abstract

The article considers the problem of formation of spiritual needs of preschool children and the influence of modern information technologies on this process in particular. It gives a retrospective analysis of the views of scientists on the problem of the impact of information technology on the spiritual development of preschool children. It reveals the terminological concepts “spiritual education”, “Internet addiction”, “information technology”, “cyber threat”. Psychological regularities and features of spiritual formation of preschool children are described. The article describes the signs of “Internet addiction” of preschool children: elevated state of being on the Internet; impaired memory and attention; irritability from not being allowed to use the computer; constant browsing of various sites; unwillingness to communicate with family and friends for the sake of being on the Internet; sitting at the computer for hours, which leads to sleep and food deprivation. The main aspects of the spiritual qualities of children, which are formed under the influence of information technology, are revealed. It is determined that computer games are cultural forms of childrenʼs spirituality in the process of upbringing and education, along with childrenʼs games. The article reveals the functions of computer games. They are educational (promotes mastering of letters, develops reading skills, elementary mathematical concepts, etc.); educational (forms spiritual values, installs moral and ethical rules of conduct); developmental (aimed at the formation of general mental abilities, memory, thinking, attention); communicative (ensures the development of the dialectic of communication); entertaining (aimed at getting pleasure, enjoyment, getting the desired result). The article finds that the use of computer games in the classroom develops children’s curiosity, stimulates them to achieve their goals, helps children better master the material, identifies gaps in knowledge and eliminates them.
 Keywords: information technology, Internet, Internet addiction, preschool child, computer games, spiritual education, children’s spirituality, spiritual needs.