External information pressure on russian youth as a tool of global confrontation

The results of a socio-political research studying the phenomenon of external information pressure on Russian youth in conditions of growing geopolitical tension and information confrontation between states are presented. Young people, as the most vulnerable social group, are exposed to the negative effects of the digitalization of information about military and political processes, including the transition of the concept of “hybrid warfare” into a new form. This new form is defined by the dominance of information and psychological impact and other methods of a predominantly non-military nature. Multi-stage methodology is used, including cognitive mapping of digital content, automated social media analysis of information flows, unstructured group interviews, as well as methods of metaphorical associative cards and online questionnaires. It is revealed that the number of Russian regions targeted by external information pressure on young people increased. The scheme of relevant content circulation and the active role of foreign media structures in this process are identified. The semantics of information flows and features of targeted impact on different age groups are defined. The results of the study show a weak perception of fake information on the Internet by young people and highlight the formed demand for the development of modern competences of digital literacy and information security.

information warfare, hybrid warfare, fakes, social media, digital space, digital literacy