Digital technologies in the activities of Russian youth non-profit organizations: the transformation of methods of patriotic education in the context of the mediatization of society

Abstract

Introduction. Large-scale digitalization processes in Russian society necessitate a fundamental transformation of traditional approaches to patriotic education of youth. Traditional institutional-organizational structures based on reproductive methods and unidirectional influence demonstrate declining effectiveness when working with centennials who have socialized in digital reality conditions. The escalation of geopolitical tensions actualizes the tasks of consolidating civic consciousness and strengthening patriotic attitudes among youth. In these conditions, youth non-profit organizations acquire special importance as institutional mediators between the state and youth communities, possessing organizational plasticity and the ability to rapidly adapt in the digital environment. Purpose. To analyze the processes of digital transformation of patriotic education in youth non-profit organizations activities and identify effective practices for using digital technologies to form civic identity. Materials and methods. The methodological foundation comprises mediatization theory, cultural-historical psychology, institutional approach to considering youth non-profit organizations as new institutional forms, and socio-engineering approach to studying digital technologies as tools for purposeful construction of social reality. The empirical base consisted of analysis of digital projects with patriotic orientation by the non-profit organization "Inspirers" (Vdokhnoviteli). Results. Three main models of interaction between digital technologies and patriotic education in non-profit organizations were identified: dominant, mediating, and parity models. Analysis was conducted of specific case studies implementing digital projects "Heroes of Time" and "1418 Steps to Great Victory," demonstrating the effectiveness of using artificial intelligence for content personalization, storytelling technologies, and gamification. The "Heroes of Time" project showed high audience engagement indicators. The formation of qualitatively new "mediatized worlds" for transmitting patriotic values was established, characterized by interactivity, personalization, and multimedia features. Conclusions. Digital transformation represents a qualitative change in the nature of the educational process with a transition from monological to dialogical, interactive model. The effectiveness of digital methods is determined by their ability to account for cognitive features of centennials through the use of storytelling, gamification, and content personalization. Digital technologies contribute to overcoming the deficit of civic-mindedness in the structure of Russian patriotism through mechanisms of crowdsourcing, user-generated content creation, and network community formation. A new paradigm of patriotic education is emerging, based on mediatization principles, which requires the development of new criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of educational work in the digital environment.