The role of the Internet in formation of the protest mood of the region’s population

Abstract

This article analyses the degree of Internet penetration and the level of involvement of the Vologda region residents in the information and communication space. The author made an attempt to establish the existence of a connection between the protest moods of the residents of the region and the use of Internet resources, including for participation in public life. The information and empirical base of the study was the data of the monitoring of public opinion conducted by the Vologda Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the territory of the region.The results of the study showed that in recent years there has been a significant increase in the use of Internet technologies and social networks. According to calculations, the demand for information provided by the electronic mass media is increasing among the residents of the region who show protest moods, and the level of trust in this communication channel is growing. However, there is no direct correlation between the dynamics of the growth of Internet engagement and protest moods. The Internet and social media are not a factor of protest potential. They act as an information and communication platform that creates a technical opportunity for public discussion and facilitates the organization of protest moods. At the same time, the Internet can strengthen the effect of other factors, such as: dissatisfaction of the population with their own material well-being and the general economic situation in the country and the region, disapproval of the activities of the authorities, uncertainty of prospects and uncertainty in the future.