Teenager in the Virtual World (The Case of Uzbekistan)

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2023-1/256-276

Abstract

Uzbekistan is going through a period of reforms, which, among other issues, aim to promote innovation. 40% of the country’s population are under the age of 18. That is why it is so important which “capital” teenagers own when they enter the period of maturity. They will determine the country’s future. The world is entering a digital age, and the virtual environment has a significant impact on non-adults, particularly in teenage years. Therefore, the influence of the digital factor on adolescents (their physical health, psyche, values, behavior, communication with peers and older generation, etc.) is difficult to overestimate. The article is devoted to the effect that the Internet and social networks have on schoolchildren in Uzbekistan, and is based on the findings of a survey (WHO project) conducted among teachers, students and their parents in schools in Tashkent, Kashkadarya, and Fergana provinces. The findings show that teachers and parents have a wrong idea of how much time schoolchildren spend on the Internet, and reveal their unpreparedness in terms of “control”. The way the Internet is used in the educational process in the capital is different from regional schools, which may have an impact the on the graduates’ knowledge. The article offers recommendations to the public education authorities based of the results of the research.