Poleva N.S. Dynamics of young people's attitudes towards new technologies

The current stage of human evolution is called the sixth technological revolution (“Technological Revolution 6.0”) or the sixth technological mode, which is characterized by the rapid development of the Internet, artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain and others. Global digital transformations highlight the research of predictors determining the attitudes of modern people to new technologies and new digital reality.

The aim of the article was to investigate the dynamics of young people's attitudes towards new technologies and to identify the factors determining them.

The study used the analysis of publications on the problem, the author's questionnaire “Attitude Towards New Technologies” and its modifications. Three diagnostic cut-offs were conducted, in 2019, 2020 and 2025 (N = 242, N = 283 and N = 238). Respondents were divided into groups according to age (Group I – respondents aged 18–25 years; Group II - respondents aged 25–50 years) and experience of use (Groups A and B: IA, IIA and IB, IIB).

The findings showed the significance of experience as a determinant of perceptions and attitudes towards technology. The age factor determines to a greater extent the meaningful aspects of the attitude. Thus, older respondents demonstrated more positive attitudes towards medical technologies, while younger respondents demonstrated more positive attitudes towards artificial intelligence technologies. The results of the second measurement recorded a positive trend in attitudes towards the Internet and digital communications. All three measurements showed stability in positive attitudes towards medical technology and low tolerance towards robotics. The results of the third measurement revealed negative dynamics and ambiguity of evaluation in the attitudes of respondents of both groups towards social networks.

The results of the study showed that attitudes towards new technologies are determined by a set of predictors – individual, socio-psychological, as well as cultural context, among others. It is the perception of and attitudes towards new technologies that determine the internalisation and use of technology by young people, which seems particularly important in the context of the digitalisation of education.

Key words: youth perceptions and attitudes towards new technologies, tolerance towards new technologies, digital technologies, AI technologies

For citation: Poleva, N. S. (2025). Dynamics of young people's attitudes towards new technologies // New Psychological Research, No. 2, 11–29. DOI: 10.51217/npsyresearch_2025_05_02_01

Acknowledgment

The article was prepared within a state task, project FNRE-2024-0016 “Psychological effects of digitalization of the educational environment: opportunities for cognitive and personal development and socialization risks”.