Computer addiction as a new way of personal self-realization of student youth

The article presents the results of an empirical study of computer addiction of student youth in the context of personal self-realization by parameters: motivation to succeed, volitional self-regulation, development of emotional intelligence. The aim of the article is to analyze the manifestations of computer addiction as a new way of personal self-realization, to empirically investigate the relationship of individual psychological factors of self-realization of personality by parameters: motivation to succeed, volitional self-regulation, development of emotional intelligence with subjective assessment of computer addiction by the student youth. Psychodiagnostic methods were used: test for Internet addiction of K. Young; Shostrom’s personal orientation (short form) in the modification of E. Jones and R. Crandall; N. Hall’s emotional intelligence test, a questionnaire to study the motivation to succeed of T. Ehlers; questionnaire “Study of volitional self-regulation” by A. Zverkov and E. Eidman. The study allowed to obtain significant correlations between computer dependence and the level of self-actualization, volitional self-regulation and its components, self-management of emotions as a component of emotional intelligence. Virtual space for the younger generation in modern conditions serves as a means of meeting those significant needs that are frustrated in real conditions. In particular, personal self-realization in student youth is transferred to cyberspace through new hobbies, acquaintances and attributions of their own “I”. Thus, computer addiction in this study was considered as a new way of personal self-realization of student youth, which is still treated mainly as a form of deviant behavior. Self-realization on the Internet for modern youth is a significant area of personal self-realization in general, which under favorable conditions complements self-realization in reality, and under adverse conditions replaces self-realization in reality. Taking into account these points will allow to build a system of psychological work with different levels of computer addiction of student youth in the context of their personal self-realization.