Moral values of modern youth

Abstract

Youth is the primary subject for the reproduction of moral and ethical values which reflect the current state of culture. Youth’s social experiences, conveyed by various agents of socialization and culture, encompass a blend of innovative and traditional moral ideals. The article aims to identify the main trends in the transformation of youth’s moral values. The methodology includes content analysis of modern studies and theoretical works dedicated to the changes in moral and ethical values. The article discusses the origin of value orientations, the search for their sources and transmitters, the foundation for their classification, and the issue of contradictory moral values. It is noted that pessimistic views about the spiritual sphere of modern Russian youth are associated with globalization, informatization and the spread of liberal ideas. The conducted a theoretical analysis of literature about societal moral values and revealed that the literature formulates many traditional values as well as the spiritual transformation of the youth. Based on the analysis, the identified two major groups of values based on their sources of formation and their environment: traditional and informational values. Traditional values are transmitted through face-to-face interpersonal interaction, while informational values are transmitted through information technology and online communication. Another classification approach is based on value groups corresponding to the type of society, distinguishing between industrial (traditional) values and post-industrial (modernist, informational, contemporary) ones. An examination of studies on the transformation of the moral value system indicates the need to: address the issue of classification of values; address the lack of psychodiagnostic material which takes into account the value changing trends in a rapidly developing world; go deeper into identifying primary value regulators in online interactions; and further investigate the differences between initial and actual values. The main trends in moral value transformation are: 1) the assimilation of Western values, manifesting in a decline in collective values in favor of individualism; 2) the informatization of values and the increasing role of media and social networks as moral compass transmitters; and 3) a growing gap in value continuity between generations.