Abstract: The increased number of works devoted to sociological research on the World Wide Web has actualized the terminological problem, which is characteristic of all new and gaining popularity in academic circles concepts. The purpose of this article is to clarify the concept of "social network" and distinguish it from other terms with similar connotations: social network as a structure, "social network service" as a medium for forming virtual connections and "social media" as a synonym for the latter phrase. However, their unconditional semantic relationship will be studied: the social network in the sense of an Internet resource and a service is part of social media, and social networks as a set of relations between social actors are certainly present in the digital space and in web applications.  For this purpose, methods of comparative and bibliographic analysis, as well as secondary data analysis, were applied. The features of the social space formed by computer technologies impose special characteristics on virtual social connections, therefore it is necessary to clarify the environment in which they are distributed, and in this case the use of the term "social network" is not completely accurate. In addition, it was found that there is a "terminological trend", and the concept of "social media" is currently more dominant in English–language sources, since it is more general and takes into account current technological changes in resources.

Keywords: Internet communication, social network, network communication, virtual social networks, social communication, social media service, virtualization, The Internet, social media analysis, social media

Abstract: The subject of the study is the process of transformation of youth values in the context of social adaptation in the labor market.The object of the study is the system of social behavior of young people in the context of educational and work activities. The authors investigate in detail the causes of the social risks of youth deprofessionalization. Attention is drawn to the fact that personal values often acquire their "relative" character and are considered by young people in the context of social adaptation. Based on the analysis of the social behavior of young people in the context of educational and work activities, the focus is on the social risks of their deprofessionalization. It is emphasized that the division of values according to the priority of "survival – self-expression" has become key to differentiating the social status of social groups. Higher education plays a key role as an institution, without which it is impossible to implement a model of leadership and sustainable development.General theoretical methods (synthesis, comparison, analogy) were used in the study of value dynamics, general scientific methodological concepts (structural, functional, interpretative) were used in the analysis of scientific and theoretical approaches, secondary data analysis methods (content analysis) were used to study value transformations. The main conclusions of the study are: - the processes of transformation of values in the system of social relations are largely related to the fact that the trajectories of personality development change under the influence of objective and subjective conditions. In this regard, the key role is assigned to the institute of education; - education as a social institution focuses on the dynamics of value transformations and focuses on the socialization of a new generation of youth. The trajectories of professional development determined by him make it possible to reduce "value inflation" and generate demand for the most demanded professional knowledge and competencies for society. The observed process of "value inflation" suggests that social partners have to "tighten" the professional skills of at least a quarter of employed graduates; - the problem of professional development lies in the loss of the value of professional activity itself and leveling the ability of a fixed group of graduates to self-development. We are talking about "relative" values and their binding, on the one hand, to the strategy of adaptation of young people in the labor market, on the other – to sustainable personal growth. The novelty of the research lies in the concretization of the dynamics of the "relative" values of young people in education in relation to the conditions of their social adaptation in the labor market.

Keywords: The professional potential of young people, Deprofessionalization of youth, Dynamics of relative values, Relative values, Value orientations of youth, Human potential, Social adaptation, The labor market, Professional values of youth, Youth education

Abstract: Value orientations are an important aspect in every person's life, defining one's views, beliefs and goals. And since students occupy a special place in shaping the future of society, studying and understanding their value orientations will help scientists develop social programs and strategies to improve the quality of life. Also, the study of value orientations will help in understanding and forecasting sociocultural trends. The following aspects are considered in this article: the essence of value orientations; various approaches to their study; foreign and domestic scientists engaged in research in this field; trends affecting the specifics of value orientations, as well as the importance of value orientations in modern society. The sample consisted of students of various higher educational institutions of the city of Barnaul (n=390 people). The study involved students from Altai State University, Altai State Pedagogical Institute, Altai State Medical University, Altai State Agrarian University and Altai State Polytechnic University. The selection method was a quota sample with elements of spontaneous selection of respondents. During periods of significant social change, when new values replace old ones, the study of personal value orientations becomes especially important. Throughout life, a person finds himself in various social environments, such as family, educational institutions, peer groups and employees. Each of which conveys its own values that influence the formation of individual values of a person. Value orientations are a social reaction to the course of public life, which indicates their variability and dynamism. Value orientations are an interesting social phenomenon to study, especially within the framework of an ever-changing socio-economic policy. Modern youth in their behavior and priorities are very different from the children of the last century. Our task is to study this thesis from a scientific point of view to find scientific evidence for this.

Keywords: Cultural studies, individuality, social problem, social processes, modern society, empirical sociological research, social change, student youth, values, hierarchy of values

Abstract: This article contains the results of a sociological study on the attitude of young people to the childfree ideology among students. It is important to note that youth is the social group that shapes the future development strategies of the state. And from this point of view, society’s attention to the processes occurring in the youth environment should be organized at the highest level (it should be part of not only scientific intentions, but also the social policy of the state). Attracting the attention of the public and the scientific community to the childfree movement is explained by the fact that it has been increasingly gaining popularity. We can assume that we are dealing not just with youth fashion, but with a fully formed philosophy and ideology, based on a new idea of family values. The subject of the study is young people’s ideas about the role of children in their personal lives. The purpose of the study is to analyze the childfree as one of the manifestations of the hedonistic life strategy of young people. The respondents were selected randomly using the attainable units method. A total of 279 respondents were interviewed. The marital status of the respondents was divided into three groups. In this study, the childfree phenomenon was subjectively assessed. The study showed that young people’s ideas about their own life strategies are personal in nature. People strive to free themselves from unnecessary worries; many do not consider having children a priority when choosing the trajectory of their future. The main difficulties noted by respondents are related to finances, career and great responsibility.

Keywords: life strategies, consumerism, emancipation, hedonism, ideology, student, feminism, childfree, sociological research, demography

Abstract: Individual study is the cornerstone of the modern education system, which is connected, among other things, with the need for lifelong learning. At the same time, a modern student combines educational activities not only with leisure, but also with work and professional development, which explains the research interest in the problem of students choosing a model of independent academic work. Based on the results of existing domestic and foreign studies of students' individual academic work, the authors conducted their own sociological research, the empirical object of which was students of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. The subject of the sociological research is the individual educational work of students of higher educational institutions. The purpose of the study is to identify models of student's independent academic work. The sociological research consisted of two stages: qualitative and quantitative. During the qualitative stage of the study, 10 in-depth interviews were conducted. During the quantitative stage of the study, a questionnaire survey was conducted (n = 100). The inability to analyze the choice of a model of independent academic work without taking into account the lifestyle and life priorities of the student determined the novelty of this study, in which independent academic work is considered as part of the life of a modern student. The description of models of independent/individual academic work of students is made in the study: students motivation in their individual studies and students motivation by non-academic activities. The criteria for highlighting the models are the ability to organize independent educational work and the level of educational motivation, which were analyzed based on the respondents' answers about their academic performance, self-organization of studies and the desire to change the current approach to educational activities. Authors affirm that the priorities and strategic goals of a student determine the choice of a particular model of independent academic work. Students vary the amount of time for independent work depending on how they currently set their life priorities. Understanding the behavioral models of students makes it possible to increase the efficiency a of the educational process, which explains the practical significance of this study, the results of which can be used as an information base, both for further research and for the effective organization of independent work of students.

Keywords: life style, life priorities, models, academic performance, motivation, organization, students, Self-regulated learning strategy, choice, teaching