MECHANISMS OF ONLINE POLITICAL PROTEST MOBILIZATION OF YOUTH

Olga Popova Full professor /Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет

Abstract: In the presentation there will be analyzed main actors, channels, models and features of political online communication of modern youth in the context of the opportunities and risks of involving youth in public protest activities. Based on the analysis of modern theories of political communication and political behavior, a modern vision of the role of youth in protest movements will be presented, triggers for the transformation of latent discontent into concrete actions will be described, the author’s typology of youth groups will be proposed in terms of their reaction to political information in social networks and their role in public political activity. The presentation will analyze the strategies of youth interaction with opposition-minded leaders of public opinion and authorities directly at the stage of inclusion of a socio-demographic group in public political actions. The motivation for participation in protest movements and the possibilities / limitations of loyalty in the position of pro-government political forces will be described. The report is based on the latest Russian and foreign academic publications and a series of expert interviews conducted with scholars, political strategists in the field of IT technologies and civic activists in January-February 2021.