The role of communication in the information society. Types and functions of social communication

Mass communication is closely related to the development of modern society, its economy, politics and culture; it covers international, intergroup and interpersonal relations.

Current state Russian society allows you to build state cultural policy on new democratic principles. This involves developing connections between the center and the regions, expanding interregional interaction, dialogue with society on cultural policy issues, stimulating cultural diversity in Russian regions, accessibility and citizen participation in cultural life. Economy and culture are relatively autonomous, self-organizing, coupled and mutually influencing components of a complex system formed, in general, for them in the information and communication space of the state. For Russia, which is implementing economic and social reforms, the state, which is the main institution of its social development, is called upon to create conditions for the interaction of culture, economy and society, to develop and maintain their mutually reinforcing communication.

Civil society is characterized by the presence of public institutions, so that between the individual and the state there are intermediate authorities in the form of various public organizations. These organizations are extensions of government structures and are governed by the same rules. Public communication plays important role in the functioning of the social structure.

Civil society is based on a number of principles. Of these, the most important are representative democracy, the rule of law and free market economy. On this basis, many free associative connections arise between individuals, which lead to the formation of stable social
groups from interest clubs to political parties. The interaction of such groups is regulated by a complex structure of interests, moral values ​​and manifests itself in various forms of public communication.

Another important aspect is that public communication is high-tech and information-rich. Information and new knowledge are becoming more and more in the public consciousness main value. Mass
cultural communication is one of those important phenomena of modern society that significantly affects the development of social relations within each country and between countries and peoples.

It is impossible to overestimate the role of successful communication in the development of civil society. The following aspects and areas of socially significant communication can be distinguished: the role of communication strategies in solving social conflicts; communicative mechanisms for the formation of positive attitudes in public opinion; successful public communication of socially significant figures (politicians, public figures); ethics in public communication; changes in speech patterns of behavior; the role of relations with society (the public) in the formation of civic responsibility in the corporate world; the role of funds mass media.

Public opinion in civil society is important factor development. Public opinion is the result not only of a given social structure, but also of the historical and cultural experience of a given society. The ability to influence public opinion is largely limited by cultural stereotypes,
and during periods of accelerated social development, the direction of its vector. But in addition to cultural factors, the emergence, consolidation and disappearance of certain ideas in public opinion also depends on the methods of influence of communication. In modern dynamic, multi-ethnic and multicultural Russian society, a situation has developed that suggests that ethical issues, linguistic and cultural aspects of public communication are acquiring a special role.

In a high-tech global world, public communication acquires another important component, and
namely professional communication. Professional communication refers to the specificity of communication skills determined by professions, whose essential component is the obligation to engage in communication. These professions include teaching, political activity, management, social work, public service. For each of these professions, we can talk about a certain amount of knowledge and skills necessary for successful professional communication and, accordingly, successful professional activity.

The development of social relations is accompanied by the deepening of communication relations and the ramification of connections between person and person, people with people, society with society, that is, the development of social communication processes. The ongoing transformation of mass communications is having an impact on both material and
production, as well as socio-political, cultural and ideological areas of life of the entire civil society. In this environment, processes take place leading to an expansion of the framework of cultural development; a process of cultural interaction and interpenetration is observed. In modern civil society, human cultural space is mainly formed by various media. Television and the Internet have replaced visiting theaters, libraries, and museums from the cultural needs of modern people.

IN modern conditions rapid development of cultural communication occurs in the most different areas human life: culture, science, education.

The importance of mass communication in the spiritual culture of society is due to:

Communication in modern civil society should be considered as a specific cultural form of spiritual communication between people, and significant cultural values ​​should play the role of certain information signals distributed in society in sign, symbolic, and also informational ways. different shapes. In the course of communication, cultural values ​​should facilitate the transfer of life experiences within and between generations. Thus, the exchange of spiritual values ​​will be the main content in the developing culture of society.

The means of communication act as a tangible, material component of the communication process and always
express a way of transmitting, preserving, producing and distributing cultural values ​​in society. The study of media is all the more important because in recent decades, and especially in last years, there is a reassessment of the importance of these means, coinciding with the flourishing of the scientific and technological revolution.

Today the Internet is the most popular means of transmitting information, and in the near future this popularity will not subside, but will grow. Most likely, new technologies will not automatically replace old ones, such as newspapers and magazines, radio and television. These broadcasting areas will adapt to the new economic conditions. On the one hand, the scientific and technological revolution creates optimal conditions for technical development of mass media
information, but, on the other hand, it gives rise to certain illusions about their power and the weakness of the media of mass communication that existed previously. Mass communication systems are interconnected
through the environment, through the field of communication, that is, they are connected to each other by a word that was initially oral. The development of communications also includes processes during which information is not only transmitted, but also distorted,
may spontaneously increase or decrease. Mass communication by its very nature is dynamic and requires
innovation. In conditions of freedom of speech, openness, and the right of everyone to receive and disseminate information, society must learn to use the possibilities of mass communication with maximum effect.

The media are actively involved in the formation of public opinion today. The development of means of processing and transmitting information, the increase in the speed of information processes led to the formation of a new type of organization of society, its functioning and management. Mass communication system
provided a new and effective connectedness of society, its life activity and psychology.

Culture is a system of values ​​and social codes, preserved and transmitted from generation to generation, designed to serve as the basis for preserving the identity of society. Culture in its modern sense is also social model reality created by people in the processes of communication. This understanding of culture is especially important for understanding the role that modern society played by the media.

Traditionally, Russian society consists of heterogeneous groups. This heterogeneity is based on the multinational structure of society, the remoteness of territories, and significant differences in living conditions in urban and rural areas. During the formation of a market economy, the social stratification of society increased. The transition period led to the disruption of established cultural ties and traditions, the replacement of social guidelines and values.

In modern conditions of social change, there is a rethinking of the role of culture, renewal of its forms and
functions. On the one hand, culture still reproduces traditional attitudes and patterns of behavior, which largely predetermine the behavior and thinking of people. On the other hand, modern media forms (television, cinema, print) and advertising are widely distributed, which enhances the formation of ideological and moral stereotypes of mass culture and a “fashionable” lifestyle. Through the media, different meanings and new identities are offered, people's thinking is transformed. That's why special meaning acquires the interaction of culture and mass communications as a process that forms “ human capital"and the moral resource of the socio-economic development of the state.

The unified cultural and information space of Russia, in this context, is understood as semantic, communicatively connected by a common system of spiritual values ​​and state interests, programmatically organized space cultural and information events that contribute to the formation of civil society and the unification of people. A new understanding of the constructive role of culture in the development of Russia in the 21st century is also required in the context of globalization processes. The social changes associated with them are complex and ambiguous. These changes often create tension and instability in society. The search and self-determination of a person, the building by people of new value systems in a world covered by global flows of information, become
the foundation for new socio-cultural priorities.

For modern Russia, this search is especially relevant. Worrying complex processes socio-economic transformations and structural reforms, Russia faced a real threat of destruction of national identity. Preserving its integrity and unity on the basis of cultural diversity is the most important prerequisite for the successful development of Russia in the era of globalization, in the era of the emergence of societies based on knowledge and
skills to use this knowledge effectively. In this context, the determining role of culture in general process modernization of Russia consists in the formation of the individual as an active subject of civil society. All socio-economic development projects must include a humanitarian component, promote
development of spiritual strength and health of a person, his awareness of the high meaning of his existence.

Rethinking the role of culture in the life of society inevitably entails the need to reform management in the field of culture and mass communications.

In mass television broadcasting there is an urgent need to organize a national public
television. Such television will make it possible to realize the long-overdue need of society and the state to change the content of information flows. Changing their content should significantly strengthen the cultural and educational component of the information field with an increase in the share of children's and youth programs. This
there is television necessary condition formation of civil society. Creation of independent from bodies state power and private interests of television and radio broadcasters, financed from public sources and controlled by civil society institutions, creates better opportunities to meet citizens' demand for objective coverage of socio-political events, for the development of educational and children's television, cultural programs, as well as programs that meet the interests of various social , age,
national, religious, and other groups of Russian society.

Modern mass culture acts as complex form organizing and structuring the cultural life of society, producing both a cultural product and its consumer, which is carried out largely thanks to the efforts of the media. In their totality, the media create certain ideas about the world, about human values and concepts.

The social essence of mass communication boils down to the fact that it is a powerful means of influencing society in order to optimize its activities, socialize the individual and integrate society. However, this influence is not always positive.

Mass communications today have become a powerful tool that not only shapes public opinion, but also often influences the adoption of certain political decisions, promotes the interpenetration of cultures and the spread of cultural patterns and standards beyond the boundaries of one culture, creating a global cultural space.

If at its first stages the process of building a democratic society in Russia was aimed, first of all, at the establishment of mechanisms of a market economy, at the formation of socio-political structures characteristic of Western countries, which was often accompanied by a deterioration in the quality of life of the bulk of the population, an increase in social apathy and an aggravation of many social problems, then modern stage this process is closely
approached the problem of forming civil society structures that are designed to create conditions and guarantees in society for constructive communication, social consensus, civil peace and understanding, as well as resolve many social problems that neither the market economy nor the state can solve.

The media play a significant role in the formation of civil society and strengthening the unity and mutual understanding of the peoples of Russia. Mass communication in new Russia acquires paramount importance, which is determined primarily by:

Since the times of Plato and Aristotle, the role of communication and information in the life of society has attracted the attention of scientists and has given rise to research in the fields of philosophy, sociology, and political science.

Information, despite existing economic, political, cultural and other differences, has turned the world into a single communication environment that influences the system of power both within the country and throughout the world. The information environment, characterized by the free flow of information, has radically changed the nature
relations between society and state. Communication exchange in modern society contributes to the formation of a more complex living environment, new social and moral values, a different way of life and other principles of management.

Rational management of the informatization process implies the development of strategic goals and objectives of socio-economic growth, the introduction of effective regulatory technologies public life and ensures the stability and sustainability of its development. Thus, information interaction is not carried out spontaneously, but is a process that is programmed and controlled. The information society changes the feeling and perception of the world, on the basis of which a person’s views are formed. “Information is not just
One characteristic of society is a qualitative change in the entire human environment."

As a result, through communication channels, the audience is already receiving ready-made diagrams, algorithms of behavior, which, in turn, facilitates perception, since it does not require rethinking. We can observe similar trends in other areas, for example, in the education system, where the Internet, textbooks, short guides and dictionaries containing concentrates prevail. scientific knowledge and limiting the possibility of in-depth analysis. Development of electronic media, network communications, widespread transition to digital standards, coding and
decoding of information forms a kind of “digital” mass consciousness.

Feature this process is that a person does not strive to know, comprehend, or analyze anything. The need for him is a simple collection of various information, in an absolutely compressed, concentrated form. There is a merging of the categories “knowledge” and “awareness”, “awareness”.

Given the abundance of information flows, many of which serve as background or semantic noise, the necessary information is either forgotten or remains unclaimed. The lack of necessary filtering of incoming information, their logical and critical understanding prevents the formation of a person’s own positions and views.

This circumstance has a negative impact on the development of the opposition in the state. The lack of opposition is a sign of the weakness of democratic foundations, and, consequently, the underdevelopment of socially organized structures.

Information communication technologies will allow citizens to more effectively exercise their rights. Communication forms and activates feedback, thereby ensuring the interaction of subject and object.

Thus, communication between people has existed in all eras, and in our time, technical means of its implementation have simply appeared. The improvement of mass communication, based on the development of human culture, shows how the speed of information exchange gradually increased in order to maintain the path to human mastery of the knowledge acquired by previous generations of people.

Cm. Lisova S.Yu., Vestnik ISEU Vol. No. 1, 2008

The variety of spheres of public life determines many subjects of communication. It becomes obvious to the researcher that the typology or simply classification of these types will be incomplete if individual indicators are used; it must be made according to multiple criteria. We encounter this in the literature, finding different approaches. F.I. Sharkov 4 gives the following approaches to the typology of communication:

by scale of occurrence (mass, medium level, local, intragroup, intergroup, interpersonal, intrapersonal);

by the method of establishing and maintaining contact (direct and indirect);

at the initiative of the subject (active, passive);

by degree of organization (random, non-random); depending on the use of sign systems (verbal, non-verbal); depending on the flow of information (downward, upward).

A.V. Sokolov 5 highlights following types and types of communication. If communication is an indirect and expedient interaction of subjects, then four types of communication can be distinguished: material (transport, energy, population migration, etc.); genetic (biological, species); mental (intrapersonal, autocommunication); social. The subjects of communication can be an individual, a social group and a mass population. In this case, we can talk about the following types of social communication. Microcommunications, where the subjects are the individual, the group, the mass, and the communicator is the individual. Midicommunications is the interaction of two groups, the group and the masses. Macrocommunications are the interaction of mass aggregates. If an individual, a group and a mass aggregate act as an object of influence, then we can talk about interpersonal, group and mass communication.

In the textbook "Fundamentals of Communication Theory 6" types of communication are considered for a number of reasons. Thus, according to the method of communication, they are distinguished: verbal and non-verbal. Within verbal communication, forms of speech communication are considered: dialogue, monologue, argument, oral and written speech communication. Nonverbal communication includes facial expressions, gestures, posture, gait, and eye contact. The following levels of communication are distinguished: interpersonal communication, communication in small groups, mass communication.

Types of professionally oriented communication are also given:

business communication in an organization, marketing, management communication;

political communication, public communication, intercultural communication, etc.

Of course, the authors’ attempt to give as complete a list of types of communications as possible deserves attention. However, upon closer examination, a single basis for classification is not always maintained. This is especially felt when revealing the types of professionally oriented communication. Social relations are objective in nature, since they are determined by the place of the group in social structure, its functions. However, in intergroup interaction there is also a group’s attitude towards another in a subjective sense: perception of another group, evaluation of it, acceptance or non-acceptance, etc. In socio-philosophical terms, not only individuals, but also groups act as subjects of communication. By distinguishing large and small in the structure of society social groups, the problem of interaction, relationships, communication, communication arises. Intergroup relations mediate the relations between society and the individual, and also constitute the field in which the interaction of individual groups and individuals takes place. Joint life activity creates the need for interaction between its participants, their relationships; in its process, “impersonal” relationships are personified.

Involving in social life through a system of functions and roles, each person performs a function and plays a role in accordance with his individual properties, which gives each act of communication a unique character. The picture of an event, fact, period in history largely depends on the state of the individual and social psyche. A person is a subject of communication and has a number of communicative abilities. A.A. Bodalev identifies four groups of abilities: intellectual, emotional-volitional, ability to learn, and a special structure of value orientations of the individual. Intellectual abilities are features cognitive processes(the ability to record information about others, to imagine oneself in the place of others). Emotionally strong-willed people mean the ability to adapt, empathy and self-control. Interpersonal communication is the process of information exchange and interpretation between two or more partners who come into contact with each other. The most important condition Interpersonal communication is the ability of an individual to identify standard, typical social situations of interaction between people, the content and structure of which are known to representatives of a given culture, and to construct them with appropriate actions. Each level of communication corresponds to a certain level of mutual understanding, coordination, coordination, assessment of the situation and rules of behavior of participants. Failures in interpersonal communication are determined by the fact that people, firstly, perceive each other incorrectly and inaccurately, and secondly, they do not understand that their perceptions are inaccurate.

From the context of socio-philosophical and socio-psychological approaches, the following logic of analysis of intergroup relations follows: if society is a system, groups are elements of the structure, then the relationship between them is objective (connection, interdependence, interaction) and subjective ( social perception). Objective attitude has been studied in social philosophy, sociology, subjective - in psychology. Studying the interaction of groups in a social context helps to reveal the meaningful characteristics of intergroup relations. Intergroup relations are a set of socio-psychological phenomena that characterize the subjective reflection of diverse connections between groups in the form of an image of another group, ideas about another group, perceptions of another group, stereotypes, etc. The basic component is social perception, in which cognitive, emotional and evaluative components are largely merged, and the group acts as the subject. Thus, a “group context” of interpersonal perception emerges: group members’ perceptions of each other and members of another group; a person’s perception of himself, his group, and an out-group; the group's perception of its member and a member of another group; a group's perception of itself and the other group. The mechanisms of intergroup perception are stereotyping (perception, classification and evaluation of social objects based on certain standards, which can be verbal signs, symbols, sensory, perceptual, etc.) and categorization ( psychological process assigning a single object to some class, the properties of which are transferred to this object).

Thus, the specificity of intergroup perception lies, firstly, in the fact that in it individual ideas are combined into a whole that is qualitatively different from its elements; secondly, in the long and insufficiently flexible formation of intergroup ideas; thirdly, in the schematization of ideas about another group (social stereotype). The attitude towards the group is formed through the comparison mechanism. It is characterized by a tendency to overestimate one's own group as opposed to another - intergroup discrimination, which is the establishment of differences with a strongly expressed evaluative overtones; artificial exaggeration of these differences; formation of a negative attitude, an “enemy image”; establishing positively evaluative differences in favor of one’s group (in-group favoritism); the establishment of positively evaluative differences in favor of another group (as a result - the emergence of tension in intra-group relations, hostility, weakening of intra-group ties, devaluation of intra-group values, destabilization, disintegration of the group.

All these aspects of intergroup relations are most clearly manifested in interethnic relations and communication and are expressed in the phenomena of interethnic perception. It is enough to single out such a phenomenon as an ethnic stereotype, which is characterized by evaluativeness, emotional overtones, and partiality. The attribute space of an ethnic stereotype is formed by: ethnocultural characteristics, character traits, language, assessment of behavior and dynamic characteristics of the individual, qualities that determine attitude towards people, etc. Interethnic communication contributes to the transfer of forms of culture and social experience. At the interpersonal level, intersubjective 7 interaction takes place, in which the subjective world of one person opens up to another. In this case, an individual acts as a bearer of self-awareness and culture of an ethnic group.

The phenomenon of intragroup communication occurs, first of all, with direct communication between people in small groups. To specific phenomena of this type communications include: a set of positions of group members regarding the receipt and storage of information that is significant for the group (structure of communication flows); group influence and the degree of identification of a person with a group; making a group decision; the formation of consent, the formation of a special group culture. A specific feature of group communication is its lexical homogeneity, as well as the norms and rules of acceptable communication tactics. When considering the concept of “mass communication,” some researchers specifically have in mind this “narrow” aspect of communicative interaction, emphasizing the influence of new technologies for transmitting information. Considering mass communication as the main form of dissemination of information in the human community, they associate it with linguistic (oral and written) communication of people. It is assumed that initially, on early stages development of human civilization, in the pre-industrial era, social communication was of a potentially massive nature, and with the advent and development of the media - press, radio, cinema, television - it became relevant mass form. However, mass communication expresses not only the formal characteristics of modern communication processes, but also indicates a qualitative change in the substantive parameters of social communication in the industrial and post-industrial era, expressed in the most general terms in the emergence and spread of the phenomenon of mass consciousness 8

When defining “mass communication”, its special characteristics are distinguished, such as:

1. social information addressed to the masses;

2. information born and formed in a mass audience;

3. information disseminated through mass channels;

4. information consumed by a mass audience. Along with mass communication, it is legitimate to distinguish specialized communication, the main feature of which is an appeal to specialists, a specialized audience, and a specialized consciousness. The totality of sources, distributors, and organizers of information consumption by specialized and mass consciousness constitutes the content of information and communication (communication and information) structures.

One of the most powerful components of this structure is the mass media system. At the same time, we note that the mass communication system (MSC) has a broader content than the media. Mass communication media include the press, radio, television, cinema, show business, video production, the Internet and technical and technological means that provide specialized and mass communication. It is necessary to highlight the following General terms functioning of mass communication:

1. mass audience (it is anonymous, spatially dispersed, but divided into interest groups, etc.);

2. social significance of information;

3. availability technical means, ensuring regularity, speed, replication of information, its transmission over a distance, storage and multi-channel (in modern era everyone notes the predominance of the visual channel). Mass communication performs a number of important social and psychological functions in the life of mass society:

Social features:

1. information function is the immediate task of mass communication;

2. socializing function - associated with the formation or change in the intensity and direction of socio-political attitudes, values ​​or value orientations of the audience with whom the communication process is taking place, represents training in norms, values ​​and patterns of behavior;

3. organizational-behavioral function is associated with the cessation or, conversely, provoking some action of the audience, as well as a change in its activity;

4. emotional-tonic function is the management of the emotions of the audience, through which mass communication awakens optimism or drives melancholy, it creates and maintains a certain emotional level of the audience;

5. the communicative function is associated with influencing the audience in order to strengthen or, conversely, weaken the connections between individual members or audience groups.

Psychological functions:

1. the function of forming mass psychology is the main psychological function of mass communication, through which the psychology of the masses is formed as a subject of socio-political processes;

2. the integrative-communication function is associated with the creation of a general emotional and psychological tone of the audience;

3. the information function provides the audience with a certain set of information, creates unified system coordinates in her perception;

4. socializing educational function - forms common attitudes, values ​​and value orientations;

5. The function of organizing behavior stimulates the actions of the formed mass in a certain direction.

A.P. Kolmykova

Orenburg State Pedagogical University

Scientific supervisor: M.A. Petrunina, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor

Social communication in the modern information society is considered as a mutual exchange between communicants of semantic and evaluative socially significant information that affects both the participants in social interaction and society as a whole.

In sociology and social pedagogy, the concepts of “society” and “information society” have different meanings and are perceived ambiguously. It is important to take into account that in a broad sense, society is considered as a historical result of naturally developing relationships between people, and in a narrow sense - as social organization nation, nationality, population of the country.

Thus, the famous Russian sociologist Peterim Sorokin understood society as a collection of individuals who are in the process of communication. The famous German sociologist Max Weber believed that society is the interaction of a group of people who are the product of social actions, because focused on other people. American sociologist and political scientist Talcott Parsons defined society as a system of relations between people who are united by norms and values.

It follows from this that society as a whole is understood as a unity that consists of people and their social relations, interactions and connections. These components (social connections, relationships, interactions) are distinctive and are reflected in the historical process, which is characterized by the transition from generation to generation. Society, as we know, includes people, public institutions, social interactions, social relations, values, norms, connections. Moreover, each of these elements is closely interconnected with other elements, which plays a huge role in the further functioning of the entire system.

Public opinion plays a huge role in the life of society and shows the real state of social consciousness, interests, moods, and feelings of society. Public opinion is a “litmus” test, as it examines the attitude of groups of people to the problems of social life.

The analysis allows us to reveal that the factor in the emergence of public opinion is the interests of society. Public opinion most often appears where controversial issues arise. It is formed both spontaneously and purposefully. Public opinion includes several stages: the emergence of personal opinions, the exchange of opinions, the transition of a single point of view from many others. In real life, these processes occur at the same time and are characterized by jumps and mutual transitions.

For example, public opinion may have a united character of expression. It expresses the opinion of public reason, the opinion of the whole society. The main essence of already established public opinion includes points of view that are accepted by all of society or most of it, despite the fact that this opinion may be incorrect and erroneous.

The main aspect of the formation of public opinion is the means of mass communication. They have a huge impact on people's points of view, and in particular they have a powerful impact on people's emotions. The main means of mass communication are print media, radio broadcasting, television broadcasting, the World Wide Web, and advertising.

Television broadcasting and advertising are the most powerful sources that have a special influence on the consciousness of society. Advertising refers to information that is distributed in different ways, in different forms, using any means to attract attention. Advertising has the power to influence people's tastes, no matter how those tastes manifest themselves. In sociology and psychology there are many various types, ways and methods of manipulating people's consciousness.

For example, the famous psychologist Sergei Zelinsky in his work “Manipulation of the Masses and Psychoanalysis” identified many different ways of manipulating people: false questioning, or deceptive clarifications; false inferiority, or imaginary weakness; false love, or lull in vigilance; violent pressure, or excessive anger; fast pace, or unjustified haste.

In total, Zelinsky identified several methods of manipulation that are psychological, but in order to use them in practice, it is not necessary to have a psychological education or an academic degree in psychology.

In the very general view Communication, as a rule, refers to means of communication between two or more persons based on understanding; information message from one person to another or a number of persons through a common system of symbols.

The communication process consists of several constant elements:

1) sender (the one who sends the message - the communicator);

2) a channel that transmits information;

3) the message itself;

4) the recipient (the one who receives the messages - the recipient).

It should be borne in mind that there are many ways in the world that help influence the consciousness of society. Social consciousness is primarily understood as a complex of psychological properties that are inherent in society as an integral system. In the century information technologies The development and further growth of increasingly new ways of manipulating people, including through the means of mass communication, are intensifying, which entails unpredictable processes. This may create a situation in which it is difficult for people to recognize whether it is manipulation or real information.

If we compare traditional media with the Internet, then the Internet is like the new kind mass communication has a number of advantages:

1) multimedia, unlike other sources of mass communication, the Internet can combine audio tracks, printed texts and videos, pictures;

2) personalization - using the Internet, information can be delivered in any way that the user prefers (distribution via e-mail or via cable TV);

3) interactivity - through the Internet, people have the opportunity to interact with each other, have many connections with thousands of users, which are possible with the help of social networks, forums, chats, teleconferences;

4) absence of intermediaries - the Internet, unlike traditional mass media, gives the authorities and political parties the right of direct access to the people.

It is important to note that the influence of information on the masses depends on the social demands of a given audience. It is also worth noting that the public status of the source of information plays a huge role. If the media have the official status of a source of information, that is, they are registered according to the law, then the information they disseminate must be reliable. However, the reliability of this information is difficult to verify, so evaluative information is very important for society, which helps to understand what trends dominate in society.

Mass media use two main methods of disseminating information - sequential and fragmentary. The first method is more often used in print media publishing houses, which cover events in a sequential manner and publish them in articles and other sources. The second method is most used on television, where visual transmission of information and images predominates.

A generalized view of the problem of manipulating people using mass media allowed us to identify the most famous:

1. Distraction is the main element of social control (people’s attention is diverted from serious intentions and issues, constantly filling the information space with unnecessary messages).

2. Creating problems and then suggesting ways to solve them (in an economic crisis, people are “forced” to buy things they don’t need).

3. Method of gradual application (in order to achieve a solution to a goal that is unpopular for the people, its ideas are introduced gradually, over a long period of time).

4. Appeal to the people at the level of populism (many propaganda speeches aimed at the general public use simple arguments and an attractive intonation).

Thus, the role of social communications in the modern information society lies in the mutual exchange between members of the community of semantic and evaluative socially significant information that has an impact on both the individual person of social interaction and society as a whole. It must be taken into account that the main factor in the formation of public opinion is the media, which help to manipulate people. This manipulation is mostly hidden, since many people may not be aware of it. In this regard, the communicative culture of all members of the information society is important.

List of used literature

1. Gurevich, P.S. Political psychology: textbook. allowance / P.S. Gurevich. – M.: UNITY-DANA, 2013.

2. Zelinsky, S.A. Mass manipulation and psychoanalysis / S.A. Zasursky. – St. Petersburg: Skifia, 2014.

3. Kolesnikova, I.A. Communicative activity of a teacher: textbook. aid for students higher ped. textbook establishments / I.A. Kolesnikova; edited by V.A. Slastenina. – M.: Publishing house. Center "Academy", 2007. - 336 p.

4. Lozovsky, B.N. Manipulative technologies of media management / B.N. Lozovsky - Ekaterinburg: Ural Publishing House. University, 2014.

5. Matveeva, S.Ya. Fears in Russia in the past and present / S.Ya. Matveeva - Novosibirsk. 2014.

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