Alyona Horylenko.
The process of development of each individual in society is one of the most important stages in human life, which affects both the individual and society. Through the assimilation of knowledge and values the person becomes the full member of society. However, the differences between individuals, their personal life position and behavior largely depend on generations.
Each generation has its own uniqueness. Today’s children and adolescents, called Generation Z, Digital Generation and Alpha Generation – those born after 2004, – are special because they grew up in an era of globalization, digitalization and greater opportunity. It should be noted that this generation of children usually has positive differences compared to previous generations, for example: children learn faster, use technology more effectively and learn new skills faster. Due to the high pace of technology development, there is an assumption that this generation will be smarter, will be able to adapt more quickly to new conditions and completely get rid of racial, ethnic, gender and other stereotypes in all spheres of life.
However, despite the above benefits, there is still a serious problem with the mental health and social life of individuals. Unlike the previous so-called Generation Y, modern children were born at a time when access to digital technology is the norm – they grew up in the age of smartphones, and many of them do not know life without social networks and free access to information. It is because of the overuse of technology that the current generation has become more psychologically vulnerable than its predecessors.
In addition, it is also a socially limited generation, which can be said to be cut off from the real world, which in turn also affects mental health. They may be worried about the lack of likes on social networks, possible cyber-bullying, toxic sites such as “Blue Whale”, which was popular a couple of years ago. And all this in turn increases the number of mental disorders among modern youth such as depression, suicide and others. An example is the predisposition to preclinical forms of autism, when a child is immersed in himself and unable to communicate with others.
Also, digital technologies have an impact on the formation of personality, as a result of which the child begins to form his own “I”, based on the basics of behavior of famous “cool” people and using available information from popular networks. However, the own brand created in this way is far from real life, which in turn leads to misunderstandings on the part of the surrounding and law enforcement agencies, as a result the process of self-determination in society and own behavior may be delayed.
Therefore, I think that it is expedient to pay attention not to the change in the technology of teaching in schools, to the restriction of access to Internet resources or to the growth of parental control in all spheres of children’s lives. No, the main thing is to provide an individual approach to children, to support from parents and others, ensuring access to psychosocial care for children, and most importantly – parents need to pay more attention, to talk to children about the world around them, its realities, and to take more care of the mental state of children.
The project is implemented by Chernihiv Polytechnic National University in cooperation with the Human Rights Foundation and the University of Tartu (Estonia). The project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia.
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