Youth in a World of Global Threats: Social and Psychological Consequences
The paper focuses on global threats faced by the young people in Russia and elsewhere, with particular emphasis on the social and psychological consequences of these challenges. As an example, analyzed are the effects of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the anti-terrorist policies that followed - signs of post-traumatic stress disorder among many U.S. citizens, stigmatization and discrimination of certain ethnic and religious groups, problems related to self-identification and adaptation of the Muslim youth. Highlighted is the impact of the complication of social life and the growing demands of modern society upon the new generations as well as adaptation strategies which the young people choose in the conditions of permanent social instability. The phenomenon of voluntary self-isolation and rejection of social life among the young people (Hikikomori, NEET, etc.) is analyzed as a negative reaction to the complication of life and increasing social unrest. The psychological, social and behavioral factors contributing to this kind of self-isolation are highlighted. Among the primary «youth» risks considered are such new phenomena to modern society as cyber-aggression and cyber-victimization, which in recent years have become widespread in the Internet space. The article provides explanations as to why a person becomes a victim or an aggressor, the primary causes being the negative emotional experiences of the young men and women who are under pressure from social stereotypes about success, femininity and masculinity prevailing in today's world. It is stressed that the discrepancy with these standard perceptions often leads to a complicated intrapersonal conflict.