Research of the problems of subjectivity development in the digital environment

Bogdanova Veronika Olegovna ORCID: 0000-0002-6342-8050 PhD in Philosophy Associate Professor, South Ural State humanitarian and pedagogical university 454080, Russia, Chelyabinsk region, Chelyabinsk, Lenin str., 69, room 444 verovictory@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

The problem of the development of subjectivity occupies an important place in humanitarian scientific research. For the first time, the concept of subjectivity appears in philosophy, where this phenomenon is revealed as an individual's awareness of himself as a subject of cognitive activity. This idea is reflected already in the philosophy of I. Kant. The philosopher considers the subject as a universal legislator, the cognizable world for him acts as a projection of his creative activity ^{[1, p. 79]}.

In psychological and pedagogical literature, the concept of "subjectivity" is revealed in the context of its formation and development. In the works of A.V. Brushlinsky, K.A. Abulkhanov-Slavskaya, A.K. Osnitsky, E.N. Volkova, I.A. Seregina, V.A. Petrovsky the essence, attributive characteristics of subjectivity are considered and the prerequisites and factors of its formation are highlighted. Subjectivity is described as an integrated phenomenon in which initiatory creativity, motivation to achieve goals, the ability to self-organize, self-realization and the construction of effective social interactions are manifested ^{[2, p. 40]}. According to E.N. Volkova, subjectivity manifests itself through a conscious and active attitude of a person to the world and himself ^{[3, p. 52]}.

The essential characteristic of subjectivity is conscious activity ^[4]. According to K.A. Abulkhanov-Slavskaya, conscious activity is a generalized value-based way typical for a person to reflect, express and fulfill her life needs ^{[5, p. 7]}. According to the views of A.K. Osnitsky's conscious activity turns a person into the author of his efforts, ensures the achievement of accepted goals and objectives, gives relative independence both from the forces of nature and from contradictory social requirements ^[6].

One of the important characteristics of subjectivity is the ability of a person to self-knowledge, self-determination and self-realization. The development of subjectivity implies a focus on the manifestation of one's own individuality, on the transformation and improvement of personality qualities. A person with a formed subjectivity is able to manage his time, build and implement the trajectory of self-development throughout his life ^{[7, p. 591]}. He carries out a projective activity, creates a project of himself, is in a borderline state between two realities – the reality of the actual and the reality of the possible. The "bridge" between these realities becomes philosophical reflection, which is necessary just as much as the gap between these realities is deep and wide ^{[8, p. 306]}.

Subjectivity is based on a moral attitude to reality. The subjectivity of a person is the bearer of certain ideals, values, meanings that serve as the basis of her worldview. Subjectivity acts as an existential center, which serves as an internal support for a person. The appeal to subjectivity ensures the authentic living of being, the construction of constructive human interactions with the world. It presupposes the presence of an inner spiritual and moral position in the personality, which manifests itself in the ability to use its potential to realize the tasks and goals of life, in accordance with its defined meaning and values ^[9].

It should be noted that in the scientific literature the problem of studying the essence and structure of subjectivity has been developed quite thoroughly. However, practically no attention is paid to the problem of the development of subjectivity in the digital environment. The factors preventing users from showing subjectivity in the digital space have not been sufficiently studied. The detection of these problem areas determines the relevance of this study.

The object of the study is the manifestation of the subjectivity of the younger generation in the digital environment. The subject of the study is the problematic markers of the development of subjectivity of youth in the digital environment. The aim of the study is to study the problematic markers of the development of subjectivity of youth in the digital environment.

Literature review

The intensive development of digital technologies significantly affects subjectivity. T.G. Leshkevich notes that with the development of digital technologies, a new type of subjectivity is being constructed, which is built according to the values of the digital world, focused on "network success" and a variable game with identity. According to the researcher, a new type of subjectivity is formed at the junction of two worlds: real and virtual. Existence in two worlds generates pressure of double standards coming from both digital technologies and traditional regulations of the pre-digital era. The autonomy of the subject is compromised, the privacy of private life is violated, the transpersonal scale of control and coercion increases ^{[10, p. 9]}. A person is being manipulated in cyberspace. He becomes more dependent on numbers, is forced to obey a digital algorithm, his subjectivity is under threat ^{[11, p. 29]}.

Digital technologies create wide opportunities for the construction of personal and social identity. In the virtual space, there is a rapid change of social roles and images ^{[12, p. 57]}. Many researchers believe that such a game with identity results in the splitting of the "I" and the loss of subjectivity. G.L. Tulchinsky believes that there is a total dissolution of the "I" in digital identity, which acts as a new way of identifying the subject, fixing a certain categorical affiliation and inventory of his inner world ^{[13, pp. 71-72]}. The subjective experience of a person is objectified, translated into an accessible and simplified form for the communication of network users. As a result of this process of objectification, a person is alienated from himself. According to E. Reid, virtuality allows you to make the transition from the realm of the physical to the realm of the symbolic, where you can temporarily not think about complexes and feel freedom ^[14]. However, being in this realm of the symbolic, the subject loses contact with the "real Self". In the virtual space, the "real Self" is replaced by "ideal" virtual images. Ideal images are created from ready-made material, a set of symbols and graphic images of the Internet environment. The created images of the "I" do not have uniqueness, so it is problematic to see a manifestation of subjectivity in their construction.

A.N. Krasilnikov, A.H. Abzalova consider the use of virtual images as a manifestation of polysubjectivity. Polysubjectivity means the ability of an individual to produce in a digital environment many virtual personalities that bear the imprint of a genuine personality, and at the same time maintain integrity ^{[15, p. 38]}.

A similar position is taken by Yu.A. Chernavin, arguing that the digital environment enriches the content of socialization, presents previously unprecedented opportunities for the realization, manifestation by a person of his potencies and qualities. As a result of the constant correlation of oneself with the virtual world, a digital identity is formed that is not divorced from the subjective experience of the individual received in the real world. This is the unity of the I-virtual and I-real. In the digital space, a person is able to manifest his subjectivity, since he is aimed at finding himself, which is not built from scratch. Realizing himself as an integral part of the virtual world, a person at the same time manifests in the virtual space qualities related to his deep personal levels and to real being ^{[16, p. 75]}. In a digital environment, a person is able to preserve the integrity of the personality, which is a significant criterion of subjectivity. He is able to stay true to his true goals and values, is in harmony with himself.

N.M. Saraeva, R.R. Ishmukhametov in the article "Value orientations of students with different levels of subjectivity" emphasize the dual influence of the digital environment on the development of subjectivity. The digital environment expands the range of opportunities for the self-realization of the subject, the manifestation of his subjectivity. Information and communication technologies act as an effective assistant, creating conditions for cognition of the world, self-education, professional and creative self-realization of the individual. They free a person from routine work, give an opportunity to use the free time to satisfy their own interests and needs. In the digital environment, strict requirements are imposed on the activity, independence, psychological stability of the subject's personality. The digital environment forms a person who has determinants of behavior associated with the manifestation of a subjective position: autonomy, independence, the desire for self-realization (N.M. Saraeva, R.R. Ishmukhametov, 2014).

However, the development of subjectivity in the digital environment is hindered by the abundance of information with which consciousness is manipulated. Modern man uses a variety of communication channels, he is exposed to information pressure, which negatively affects subjectivity ^{[17, p. 217]}. However, the formation of critical thinking skills, self-regulation, and the ability to distance oneself from negative information are effective ways to combat information pressure and preserve subjectivity. Manipulative practices applied in the virtual space actualize the problem of educating an active, independent person who is able to analyze and evaluate her own activities and life situations in which she manifests herself, makes free choice and is responsible for it, realizes the value of her personality and strives for constant self-development.

Thus, in modern research there is no consensus on the impact of the digital environment on the development of subjectivity. The possibilities of the digital environment can be used both to reveal a person's personal potential and develop his subjectivity, and to suppress a person's will, reduce the criticality of thinking through manipulative influence that hinders the development of subjectivity. Let's try to determine what other factors prevent the manifestation of subjectivity in the digital environment from the point of view of modern youth.

Materials and methods

In the period from 01.03.2023 to 30.05.2023, a group focused interview of 70 Russian students of the South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University was conducted. 82.86% of girls (58 people) and 17.14% of boys (12 people) participated in the study. The age of respondents is from 17 to 21 years.

These students study at the first (54.29%) and second (45.71%) bachelor's degree courses in the areas of pedagogical and vocational pedagogical education.  

The number of focus groups is 7, with 10 people in each group.

The purpose of the focused interview was to identify problematic markers of subjectivity in the digital environment.

In accordance with this goal, an interview plan was drawn up, consisting of the main blocks. The questions of each block were aimed at identifying the problems of manifestation of subjectivity in the virtual space.

The first set of questions touches upon the problems of the manifestation of individuality, which are closely related to subjectivity. In the study, subjectivity is defined as one of the central mental formations of the personality, the basis of which is the attitude of a person to himself as a figure. An important component of subjectivity is awareness of one's individuality and acceptance of one's uniqueness ^[3]. Subjectivity manifests itself as the ability to take an author's position in relation to one's own individuality and one's own life.

The second set of questions is devoted to the problems of reflection, which acts as a fundamental mechanism of subjectivity. It allows the subject to realize himself and his own existence, to carry out a meaningful assessment of individual existence in accordance with the accepted system of values.

The third set of questions concerned the problems of freedom and responsibility, which are also considered important components of subjectivity. A person with subjectivity freely manifests himself, enters into an active relationship with the world, is responsible for the consequences of his activity. An autonomous person can independently and consciously carry out personal life projects: choosing a profession, creating a family, maintaining relationships, etc. According to B. Roesler, autonomy involves constant verification of how much one's own life is a consequence of free choice ^{[18, p. 96]}.

The questions of the fourth block were devoted to the problems of the emotional sphere: the problem of psychological security and the problem of developing empathy. The state of psychological comfort and security is an indicator of the optimal interaction of the subject with the environment, testifies to successful socio-psychological adaptation. Empathy is understood as conscious empathy for the current emotional state of another person without losing the sense of the origin of this experience ^[19]. Empathy has a positive effect on the process of adaptation of an individual, as it helps to build relationships with other people at a deeper level. M.M. Kashapov, A.A. Smirnov, E.V. Solovyova define empathy as a resource of social relationships, thanks to which the subject uses his abilities to achieve the most effective solutions to problems at the lowest cost. With the help of empathy, a subject can go beyond the temporal and spatial framework of a cognizable and transformable life situation, look at another person with an open mind outside of the given conditions, find optimal ways to resolve problems or conflict situations ^{[20, pp. 156-157]}. Empathic abilities (for empathy, decentralization and emotional support) are closely related to subjectivity ^{[21, p. 88]}. E.N. Volkova identifies understanding and acceptance of another person as a component of the structure of subjectivity, which are impossible without the development of reflection and empathy ^{[3, p. 53]}. It is possible to understand and accept another person through an active empathetic attitude towards him, in which his subjective position is maintained.

Interview plan 

1 block of questions (problems of manifestation of individuality)

1)                In which environment is it easier for you to show your individuality: in real or virtual?

2)                What obstacles can a person face when showing individuality in a digital environment?

2 block of questions (problems of reflection development)

3)                How does the digital environment affect a person's ability to reflect?

4) What prevents the development of reflection in the digital environment?

3 block of questions (problems of freedom and responsibility)

1)                In which environment do you feel more free: in real or virtual? Why?

2)                In which environment do you feel more responsible: in real or virtual? Why?

4 block of questions (problems of the emotional sphere)

3)                Where do you feel more psychologically comfortable and safe: in the real world or in the virtual?  Why?

4)                How does digitalization affect the manifestation of emotional empathy in a modern person?

5)                Where do you most often encounter manifestations of psychological violence: in the virtual or real world?

Results and their discussion

The first block of questions of the focused interview was devoted to the problems of the manifestation of individuality. The first question of the interview was to determine where it is easiest for students to show their individuality: in the real or virtual worlds. 42.86% of students noted that individuality is easier to manifest in the real world; 24.29% – in the virtual; 25.71% - in both worlds; 7.14% – experience difficulties in manifesting individuality in both worlds.

According to 47.14% of students, trolling, hatting, cyberbullying and the associated risks of being excommunicated and isolated from other people interfere with the expression of individuality in virtual communication (7.14%).

Low self-esteem, complexes, indecision, shyness occupy the second place in terms of frequency of mention among the factors that hinder the expression of individuality (12.86%). Students noted that low self-esteem and complexes interfere more with expressing themselves in the real world than in the virtual space. In the virtual space, user interaction occurs indirectly, with the help of a computer. Mediation minimizes the stress of communication, creates a psychologically comfortable environment for the disclosure of a person.

On the Internet, you can express your individuality anonymously by creating a variety of digital representations. By creating a virtual identity, the younger generation pursues different goals.  A person can strive to realize his "idealized Self" by satisfying his need for recognition and strength. Virtual personality can be a manifestation of compensatory aspirations to overcome objective or subjective difficulties of face-to-face communication. With the help of it, an individual develops skills of social interaction with different people, begins to realize his value in the eyes of other people, becomes successful and self-confident, openly shows the qualities of personal identity, achieves his goals.

11.43% of students identified high competition for attention as a problem of the manifestation of individuality in the virtual space. A large number of people perceive Internet technologies as an effective tool for creating an image in the process of personal and professional self-realization. With the help of them, it is convenient to control and manage the creation of a virtual image, and they also allow you to reach a large audience. Increasing demand for the use of Internet technologies for self-expression increases competition for attention and the level of requirements for self-presentation of the individual.

According to 11.43% of respondents, the manifestation of individuality in the digital environment is hindered by public standards, based on which network users create virtual images. On the web, people often copy the images of famous people, join communities and broadcast not personal, but group values. Passive acceptance of the established order, the values prevailing in the community gives users an advantage in the form of social approval or gaining popularity at the expense of the group, but at the same time a person can act contrary to his own beliefs, abandoning his individuality.

8.57% of respondents do not show their individuality in the virtual space because of the fear of leaving a digital footprint. They believe that the data left on the network can be used against them.

7.14% of students cited the low level of digital literacy, the presence of technical limitations of sites that create platforms for self-presentation as obstacles to the manifestation of individuality.

7.14% of students have no problems with the expression of individuality in the virtual space.

The results of the interview for the first block are presented in Table 1.

Table 1 – Classifier of interview analysis for 1 block of questions (problems of personality manifestation)

The second block of questions of the focused interview was devoted to the problems of reflection development. The results of the interview on the second block are presented in Table 2. The first question of the second block was to determine the students' opinion on the impact of the digital environment on the development of reflection. 28.57% of respondents said that the digital environment has a positive effect on the development of reflection; 30% of students expressed a judgment about the negative impact; 32.86% – about the presence of both positive and negative influences. 8.57% of respondents felt that the digital environment does not affect the development of reflection in any way.

To the second question, what hinders the development of reflection in the digital environment, 25.71% of students answered – "information overload of consciousness". Modern man lives in conditions of an overabundance of information, he does not have enough time to process it. He has to develop the ability to react quickly and switch attention from one source of information to another in order to be not on the periphery, but in the center of events. However, the saturation of the environment with information complicates the process of its deep understanding ^{[3, p. 79]}. The continuous transmission of unstructured information creates conditions for the education of people susceptible to manipulation, since the information received is not evaluated and is not checked for reliability due to lack of time and economy of thinking.

As a problem of the development of reflection, respondents named workload (22.86%) and a fast pace of life (21.43%), which do not leave time for reflection.

14.23% of students believe that the development of reflection is hindered by verbal aggression in the digital environment. The interviewees noted that when faced with manifestations of aggression, a person is at the mercy of his emotions, feelings and cannot think constructively. The fixation of a person on his own experiences is not yet a reflection, since it presupposes the ability to take a position in relation to his own emotions, feelings and thoughts. A reflective person can notice cognitive distortions of his thinking and get out of the flow of wandering thoughts, distancing himself from it. Founder of metacognitive therapy A. Wells notes that people who are faced with verbal aggression or other type of psychological violence often use ruminative self–examination, which differs from reflection in a number of ways ^[22] By carrying out reflection, a person distances himself from his own experiences for their comprehension, in the process of ruminative self-examination - he merges with the situation and his own experiences.  Reflection can lead a person to solve a problem. Self-examination is useless, as it does not solve the problem. Reflection leads to psychological flexibility, introspection leads to rigidity.

12.86% of students noted that following stereotypes and fashion trends makes it difficult to develop reflexive skills, since a person, when evaluating a social phenomenon, relies not on his own subjective experience and a developed system of values, but on samples of mass culture. This prevents him from becoming aware of his own life position.

According to 11.43% of interviewees, dependence on the opinions of other people has a negative impact on the development of reflection. A person, instead of thinking independently, trusts the judgments of other people without checking them for consistency.

11.43% of students believe that inadequate self-esteem hinders the development of reflection. Low and inflated self-esteem does not allow a person to take a distanced position in order to look at himself and the current life situation objectively.

According to 5.71% of respondents, the development of reflection is hindered by fear of the truth, since it can reveal the unsightly sides of reality. The subject, being afraid of her, avoids negative experiences by refusing reflection.

According to 4.29% of students, Internet addiction negatively affects the development of reflection, leading to a departure from reality into virtual space (Internet surfing, compulsive network navigation, online games, online shopping, active participation in the life of a social network, etc.). In a person with Internet addiction, the predominant coping strategy is "avoiding problems". Its use is due to the lack of development of skills for solving complex life situations. Virtual space offers many ways to escape from the problems of reality and avoid contact with your feelings, thoughts and experiences. Without the skill of analyzing feelings, emotions, and actions, a person with addiction is unable to understand himself and take a subjective position in relation to his inner state and his own life.

Some students noted that the digital environment can contribute to the development of a person's reflexive skills, as it expands the scope of his communication. Communication in the virtual space has a delayed nature, which makes it possible to spend more time thinking about your own thoughts. The digital environment is inherently pluralistic, as each user can express their opinion on the issue under discussion. This is a necessary condition for the development of subjectivity. In addition, the virtual space is saturated with a variety of information that serves as material for analysis. The material for analysis can be the user's personal experience, which he can share on his blog or on his page on social networks. Blog and posts on social networks are used not only for self-presentation of personality, but also for self-knowledge.

Table 2 – Classifier of interview analysis on the 2nd block of questions (problems of reflection development)

The third block of the focused interview was devoted to the problem of freedom and responsibility. The results of the interview for the third block are presented in Table 3. To the first question "In which world do you feel more free: in real or virtual", 34.29% of students answered "in real"; 42.86% – "in virtual"; 22.86% – "in both". The results show that the prevailing answer is "I feel more at ease in the virtual world." The students explained this answer by the fact that the Internet gives more opportunities to communicate with different people who may live in other countries, during virtual communication, due to the "non-appearance" of the interlocutor, many boundaries of communication are erased, which in the real world may be due to gender, age, social status, external attractiveness or unattractiveness. Virtual communication removes psychological barriers, a person is less afraid of condemnation, he can express his opinions more freely without fear of evaluation. The students focused on the fact that there is no social hierarchy in the virtual world and there is an opportunity to address any person. Some students noted that anonymity in the virtual space gives a false sense of freedom due to the possibility of avoiding responsibility for words and actions.

The second question "In which world do you feel more responsible: in real or virtual?" received the following answers: "in the real world" was answered by 57.14% of students; "in virtual" – 18.57%; "in both" – 24.29%. The majority of students feel more responsible in the real world. The interview participants explained this by the fact that in reality they interact directly with other people, feel obligations to them. In the real world, they face the consequences of their decisions and actions faster than in virtuality. In virtuality, the sense of responsibility for the outcome of communication is blunted. Due to the lack of direct contact with the interlocutor, a person develops a false sense of impunity. In addition, the virtual space is characterized by the phenomenon of "reversibility" of events. Representatives of the digital generation, communicating online, believe that they have the opportunity to "undo" the event, for example, delete compromising information or comments, messages bearing insults. This allows the individual to treat the organization of the communicative process less responsibly, without experiencing shame, remorse.

The second most popular answer is "a sense of responsibility manifests itself equally in both the real and virtual world." Respondents associated responsibility in the virtual world with a digital footprint that remains online forever, unlike words and actions that are quickly forgotten in the real world.

Table 3 – Classifier of interview analysis on the 3rd block of questions (problems of freedom and responsibility)

The fourth block of the focused interview dealt with the question of which environment students feel more psychologically comfortable and safe in. 42.86% of respondents feel psychologically comfortable and safe in the virtual world, as they can hide their emotions, feelings and avoid unpleasant communication. 41.43% of the interview participants feel psychologically comfortable and safe in the real world. These students noted that being in reality gives them a sense of authenticity, since they perceive directly the words of the interlocutor, his emotions, feelings and experiences. In the real world, a deeper emotional connection with another person is created, allowing you to understand his inner world. 12.85% of students feel psychologically comfortable and safe in both the real and virtual worlds; 2.86% – experience anxiety and discomfort to the same extent in the real and virtual worlds. 

When asked about the impact of the digital environment on the development of emotional empathy, 48.57% of students noted its negative impact on conscious empathy with the current emotional state of another person. The students explained the negative impact by the following reasons. Firstly, networking has made people more closed and centered on their own experiences. Secondly, the virtual environment does not allow you to fully feel the presence of another person. The absence of nonverbal signals in the process of communication does not make it possible to adequately perceive another person as a feeling and experiencing subject of interaction. A high degree of abstraction in virtual communication distorts the idea that behind the "avatar" there is a person who can experience strong emotions and feelings. G.U. Soldatova, E.I. Rasskazova, S.V. Chigarkova note that in online communication another person is not so "obviously"alive" and experiencing if we are talking about the digital world, which allows us to treat it with less responsibility" ^{[23, p. 33]}. Thirdly, the lack of direct visual contact with a person does not allow us to understand and feel the emotions, feelings and experiences of the interlocutor. A.Y. Ivanova and M.V. Malyshkina write about this that due to the predominance of virtual communication in the life of the younger generation, its representatives have difficulties in recognizing emotions and understanding the nonverbal behavior of others. This is due to the limited experience of live communication, which develops the ability to understand the feelings of the interlocutor by his facial expressions and gestures, to establish causal relationships between nonverbal signals and behavior. The difficulty of understanding the interlocutor causes a decrease in the level of empathy and empathy ^{[24, p. 226]}. Fourth, on the Internet, a continuous stream of information pours on a person, which exhausts the nervous system. The physical and mental health of a person is deteriorating, he is in an emotionally unstable state, it is difficult for him to show empathy towards other people. Fifthly, due to a long stay in the virtual space, a person becomes more constrained in expressing feelings in the real world. Sixth, the digital environment is often used for self-expression. Preoccupation with self-presentations, social comparisons, and competition are not compatible with empathy. In addition, virtual reality dictates its own rules, emotions and feelings are demonstrative in it, realizing this, users do not attach much importance to them. However, such a mindset leads to a decrease in empathy, a person becomes less sensitive to the experiences of another person. Seventh, massive coverage of negative events on the Internet leads to the fact that Internet users perceive them as everyday phenomena, their level of empathy decreases. The predominance of negative information in the information space leads to the dominance of the tendency to avoid unpleasant experiences, which also makes it difficult to show empathy and care ^{[21, p. 77]}.

The positive impact of digitalization on the development of emotional empathy was noted by 20% of students. According to these respondents, the digital environment creates an open space of dialogue in which people can freely express and describe their emotions and feelings, respond to the experiences of other people, provide them with emotional support. Due to digitalization, the boundaries of communication are expanding, the degree of openness to new experiences increases, the ability to reflect and empathy increases.

A number of students believe that the development of empathy is positively affected by the coverage of social problems in the digital environment. The skillful presentation of information on the Internet shifts the focus of people's attention to the study of these problems and the search for their solutions. Involvement in the understanding of these problems deepens such human feelings as humanity, mercy and compassion, and contributes to the formation of an active civic position. The interview participants also noted that in the virtual world you can see many manifestations of cruelty and injustice that allow you to pay attention and understand the experiences of another person.

Some students believe that the digital environment develops emotional empathy because anonymous network communication makes people more open due to the removal of psychological barriers. Anonymously, it is easier for people to share their experiences, it is easier for them to understand the experience of another person and sympathize with him.

17.14% of respondents consider the digital environment as a catalyst for human relations with people and the world as a whole. Under the influence of the flow of information, a person can become both more callous and more sensitive to the problems of other people. However, it is impossible to see the reason for the increase or decrease in empathy in the use of digital technologies.

14.29% of the interview participants believe that the digital environment can influence the development of emotional empathy in different directions. On the one hand, a person entering the virtual world can forget about the problems of people in the real world. On the other hand, he can watch current news on the Internet and respond emotionally to them. On the one hand, the digital environment is replete with shock content that reduces a person's susceptibility to negative information. On the other hand, there is a tendency in the virtual world to express their feelings through "I-messages" that shift attention to a person's feelings and allow them to be better understood. On the one hand, the lack of direct contact can create difficulties for the manifestation of empathy, on the other – verbal aggression, which a person often encounters on the Internet, causes a desire to show sympathy and help the victim of psychological violence.

The students also noted that the diversity of opinions in the Internet space can both contribute to the development of a sense of empathy for other people, and serve as a reason for the struggle of opinions. As a result of the struggle, people are alienated from each other.

 The last question of this block was devoted to identifying in which environment students most often encounter psychological violence. Psychological violence includes verbal and nonverbal aggression, dominant behavior, deliberate provocation of feelings, humiliating actions aimed at undermining self-esteem and self-esteem, constant criticism, understatement of human abilities, insults, intimidation and threats. It should be noted that when asked where you most often encounter manifestations of psychological violence, the frequency of responses "in the real world" (41.43%) and "virtual world" (40%) almost coincided, with a slight excess of the first answer. 18.57% of students face psychological violence in the real and virtual worlds equally. To a clarifying question about how much they are hurt by the manifestation of psychological violence in the form of verbal aggression in a virtual environment, 45.21% of students replied that insults do not hurt them; 43.84% of respondents said that they are not hurt much; 10.96% – hurt a lot. The results obtained suggest that the virtual environment still carries less psychological danger in this aspect compared to reality.

Table 4 – Classifier of interview analysis on the 4th block of questions (problems of the emotional sphere)

Conclusion

The analysis of the obtained results allowed us to formulate the main "negative" problem markers of the manifestation of individuality in the digital environment. They turned out to be verbal aggression; low self-esteem, complexes, indecision, shyness; high competition for attention; the creation of a standardized image under the influence of public opinion. It should be noted that these problematic markers are not directly related to the specifics of the digital environment, since they are just as common in the real world. 

In the course of the study, problematic markers of the manifestation of individuality were found that are characteristic exclusively for the digital environment. These include the user's fear of leaving a digital footprint, a low level of digital literacy, and technical limitations. The frequency of mentioning these markers is low. Most students do not associate the problem of expressing their individuality with them. This suggests that many interview participants are able to secure their stay in the Internet space, positively assess their level of digital literacy, and are quite satisfied with the software and self-presentation tools that various sites offer them.

It should be noted that it is easier for students to show individuality in the real world, because here a person can express various aspects of his personality through words, intonation, facial expressions and gestures. Compared to virtuality, reality offers a richer arsenal for expressing yourself and impressing other people.  In addition, being in the Internet space, students often feel the pressure of competition for attention.  

A fairly large percentage of students (25.71%) show their individuality both in the real and virtual world. This indicates a high level of socio-psychological adaptation of these students. They perceive the digital environment as an extension of reality.

As a result of the analysis, it was revealed that the predominant number of students believe that the digital environment can influence both positively and negatively the development of the reflexive component of subjectivity. Information overload, workload, and a fast pace of life were named as the most common problematic markers of the development of reflection. Of the listed problematic markers, "information overload" is directly related to the digital environment. Digitalization leads to an accelerated growth of information and its rapid depreciation. Not only the volume of incoming information increases, but the speed of its transmission and dissemination. Students do not have time to process it and draw rational conclusions based on it, which negatively affects the development of reflection skills. The transmitted information is not subjected to a deep analysis of the subject. It is transmitted in the form of raw, meaningless information, which affects the content of communication. The students' living space is overflowing with fragmented, logically unrelated information, while they feel a lack of the necessary knowledge to solve life problems, and have difficulty navigating in the information field.

V.I. Ignatiev, analyzing the position of a person in a digital society, says that one of the main problems of modern man is the expansion of the field of communication and an increase in its intensity. In a digital society, one can observe a communicative overload. It creates a problem, the essence of which is the overload of consciousness and the process of communicating with other people with a large number of signs, meanings and meanings that lead to misunderstanding, complicate social life ^{[25, p. 6.]}. In an information-saturated society, new meanings are quickly and continuously created, which are consumed without restriction, while their value is devalued. value. The content of communication is impoverished, communication is carried out for the sake of communication, during which there is a symbolic exchange of meanings that are not subjected to deep reflection. Meaningless communication is becoming a mass type of everyday practices in a digital society.

The focused interview revealed the students' understanding of the relationship between freedom and responsibility in the digital environment. The study showed that students feel more at ease in the virtual space. This is due to the fact that the digital environment expands the boundaries of the subject's interaction with the world, creates psychologically comfortable conditions for communication, removes the influence of stereotypes and social hierarchy, often creates the illusion of lack of responsibility for words and actions.

Students feel more responsible in the real world. This is due to the fact that students are more likely to face the consequences of their choice in reality.   

Virtuality and reality create almost identical conditions in terms of security and psychological comfort. Although there is a slight advantage towards the digital environment. The frequency of occurrence of psychological violence in reality and virtuality, according to students, is almost at the same level, with a slight margin of 1.43% in the direction of reality.

Some researchers believe that a decrease in the level of reflection hinders the formation of empathy and value attitude to the world, to oneself and other people ^[26]. The students were in solidarity with the scientists. The predominant number of interview participants noted the negative impact of the digital environment on the development of an important component of subjectivity – empathy. As the main problem of developing empathy, students named the lack of non-verbal signals in the process of communication, which does not allow them to fully feel the presence of another person, understand and feel his emotions, feelings and experiences.

Problematic markers of empathy development for students are also an overabundance of information, massive coverage of negative events, a long stay on the Internet, the presence of a tendency to demonstrate and self-presentation in the Internet space. An overabundance of information and a long stay on the Internet worsens a person's emotional state, leads to a person losing contact with himself and physical reality. An overabundance of negative information puts a person into a state of emotional tension. He becomes infected with negative emotions, which becomes an obstacle to showing empathy and helping other people. Under the influence of negative information, the subject may have a desire to distance himself from its sources. The distress caused by negative experiences is often accompanied by avoidance of emotionally loaded contacts in the real world ^{[21, pp. 82-83]}.

The cult of self-presentation is being planted in the digital environment, which contributes to the development of narcissism, significantly complicates the process of decentralization of personality. A person is so passionate about himself and the presentation of his own personality that he does not notice other people. It is difficult for him to understand and accept the position of another person. 

Thus, in the course of this study, problematic markers of the development of some structural components of subjectivity were identified. The idea of them in the future will allow you to choose effective ways of working on the development of subjectivity among representatives of the younger generation, by creating a psychologically safe, comfortable and personality-oriented environment in which students' requests for the development of skills of reflection, emotional self-regulation, self-determination, self-realization, positive self-attitude and empathy would be taken into account.

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