On the Question of Critical Perception of Information by Young People on the Internet
The modern information age raises the problem of the formation of students ability to self-education, their competence work with different types of information and critical thinking skills in. The article focuses on the definition of critical thinking as an essential element of mental activity of a person at the modern information society; on the study of socio-psychological factors of youth susceptibility to manipulation of consciousness. The critical thinking procedure should provide not just proactive position of its bearer, but his leading role in determining the course and direction of events development. In the situation of informational war only critical thinking can save our consciousness from the impact of the mighty media manipulation. Critical thinking is not just the ability to think, it is the ability to think rationally, the ability to understand our own thoughts, the ability to understand the thoughts of others, the ability to make up your mind to reach the only right decision, consciously assessing the situation. It is defined the peculiarities of formation of critical thinking as a result of social work. The necessity of critical thinking with a view to possibility of information rethinking is substantiated. The author presents the results of a study of the attitude of 317 young people aged 16 to 25 to the Internet. The study also identified the most characteristic human qualities that contribute to the possibility of manipulating it: suggestibility, complexes, self-confidence, the desire to be consistent. The importance of further research was expressed.