THE IMPACT OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY ON THE FORMATION OF PERSONAL IDENTITY: A PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECT

Abstract

The article examines the impact of the information society on the formation of personal identity. The current century is characterized by the emergence of the information society, in which computerization, digitization and informatization are taking place at a dizzying pace. This in one way or another affects the socio-cultural space of both society as a whole and the individual. It is established that the identity of each person is formed in the process of socialization, during which a person is identified with certain cultural and mental categories, which leads to the formation of a relatively stable system of an individual's ideas about himself or herself and his or her place in the social structure. The authors note that the process of acquiring identity in the modern world is complicated by the fact that we live in a high-tech society that places high demands on the individual, and a long period of education and preparation for life, combined with rapid social change, does not contribute to the formation of a mature identity. It is shown that under the constant influence of the Internet, social networks and reading news on various information channels, people gradually begin to separate themselves from reality and create their own virtual world, i.e. live in certain illusions and isolation, which can lead to an identity crisis, resulting in a decrease or loss of integrity, identity and confidence in their social role. The conclusion is obvious: the information society has a strong influence on the formation of an individual's identity. On the one hand, in today's world of computerization and digitalization, a person is changing rapidly, and on the other hand, it is impossible to fully interact with people to whom the human body is biologically, physically, and mentally adapted. Virtual and informational reality deprives people of the opportunity to experience life directly in the process of communication and to form their personality in familiar conditions, which affects their psyche; this new reality creates conditions for individual development of the personality, but at the same time deprives it of individualization. The information society opens the way for the spread of creative forms of knowledge, but at the same time it has a destructive impact on the human mind and psyche. Therefore, virtual information reality should not lead to the process of personal development becoming unmanageable and uncontrollable by the social institutions of society.