Technologies for developing critical thinking and information hygiene in young people’s media behavior

Abstract

The article systematizes the factors shaping young people’s media behavior, the relationship between critical thinking and information hygiene, and technologies for analyzing media influence. The relevance of the problem lies in the fact that young people consume a large share of information through messengers and social networks in algorithmically curated environments, which amplifies the effects of false and manipulative content. The study applies theoretical-analytical methods to national and international scholarly sources, legal documents, and a reinterpretation of published media-consumption survey results from Uzbekistan. As a result, (1) the cognitive, social, and technological determinants of youth media behavior are identified; (2) a working definition and five principles of information hygiene are proposed; (3) a five-group classification of media-influence analysis technologies is presented; and (4) an integrative model based on a “diagnosis - intervention - monitoring” cycle, together with a system of indicators, is developed. The model is conceptual and requires empirical validation.