Digital socialization of student youth: approaches, principles, levels

This article presents a theoretical analysis of the digital socialization of student youth in the context of the transformation of higher education. Based on comparative and conceptual analysis, key paradigms for understanding this process–instrumentalist and transformative–are identified, and the author offers a definition of the phenomenon as a hybrid process determined by traditional institutions and an algorithmic internet environment. Three dimensions of socialization (cognitive, communicative, and identification), their principles, and factors are revealed. Digital competence is viewed as a result of socialization–a dynamic system of cognitive, operational, and valuereflexive skills. A gap between students' consumer practices and professional competencies is identified, and the need for innovative educational approaches is substantiated.