ANALYSIS OF DESTRUCTIVE INFORMATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT THROUGH TELECOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES ON RUSSIAN USERS

Aim. To identify and analyze the methods and techniques of destructive information and psychological impact through telecommunication technologies on Russian users.

Methodology. The key research methods were content analysis and intent analysis. The categories of analysis that were used in the study are topic, tonality, and object of influence. Besides, the categories specific to social media content were involved, in particular the views number, the likes number, comments and reposts. Articles in electronic media, materials from popular video hosting sites and the most visited telegram channels by the Russian segment Internet users were selected as sources of information for analysis. The content of the most relevant examples of selected messages is given in the article along with links to online sources. The data selected according to the categories described above on the basis of more than 500 articles and reports have been subjected to further reflection in order to identify techniques, methods and technologies of information and psychological impact.

Results. The article is devoted to the description and analysis of the arsenal of techniques, destructive information and psychological impact through various telecommunication technologies used on various information platforms. The analysis of the main trends in the information sphere related to the formation of negative emotions (uncertainty, fear, panic) in the public consciousness of Russian society is also carried out. The peculiarities of telecommunication communication (anonymity and multimodality) are revealed, which negatively affect the public consciousness of the entire Russian society, and therefore become an information weapon directed against the Russian population. The analysis made it possible to formulate the goals of the destructive informational and psychological impact of the collective West on the Russian society, to identify and describe the main trends in their development.

Research implications. The significance of the research consists in the analysis of risks and threats to the psychological and information security of society through the spread of telecommunication technologies that use certain methods and techniques of destructive information and psychological impact. The conducted research made it possible to outline and formulate ways to counteract such an impact on public consciousness.

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