The article is devoted to the influence of modern media on youth and the formation of their moral values and lifestyle. The author emphasizes that media often work as a profit oriented business, and in the regions the dominance of federal TV channels and the press is especially noticeable. A study of glossy magazines in Irkutsk shows that young people are most attracted to topics of relationships and beauty, and family and loved ones remain the main factor in shaping their outlook on life.

Modern society can be characterized as an information society, whose main wealth is information. Particular concern is caused by the fact of the influence of modern mass media on the younger generation. That this influence is, today, largely negative, no one disputes anymore. The wave of violence that has swept over society, the destruction of traditional universal human values, the lack of moral guidelines and spiritual leaders among young people—all this is due, not least, to the current state of mass communication media.
This topic is especially relevant today, when it comes to the lack of control over the mass media market, the uncontrolled delivery of information to various audiences, which, in the end, has a detrimental effect on the formation of the moral and ethical values of the younger generation. Today’s media are a business whose main goal is to make a profit. On the way to achieving this goal, all means are used that make it possible to attract a mass audience.
Russian media serve as an important indicator of the progress of democratic reforms: on the one hand, they have turned out to be the most resilient and advanced achievement of democracy; on the other hand, it is precisely in the evolution of the media that the traditional problems of the development of Russian society have become most clearly apparent. In the regions (using the Irkutsk Region as an example), the system of federal television and radio broadcasting remains dominant. Thus, quantitatively and qualitatively, the power of ORT, RTR, and NTV is an order of magnitude greater than that of local television broadcasting. The influence of the all-Russian press (degree of trust, area of distribution) exceeds local influence. And thus, regional authorities approach the media not as a means of mass information, but as a means of forming the necessary mass and the corresponding mass consciousness.
According to the results of a study conducted on the basis of the Sociological Laboratory of Regional Problems and Innovations at Irkutsk State University, and aimed at characterizing the concept of “lifestyle” using glossy magazines as an example, it was found that in response to the question, “Do you read magazines?” 100% answered “yes.” Regarding the frequency of purchasing magazine products, 3 positions were indicated: “Once a month,” “Several times a month,” and “Occasionally.” The first option was indicated by 65%, the second by 5%, and the third by 30%.
Respondents also answered the question of which sections in magazines attract their attention the most. The results were as follows: 26.7% answered that they like reading about love (stories, advice), 16.7% are interested in psychology, and only 10% were interested in health and fashion. These data once again prove that glossy publications will remain in demand as long as they write about human relationships and the secrets of beauty.
When asked who or what influences the formation of the respondent’s life position, it was a pleasant surprise to see that, for the most part, parents and relatives do this—71%. Friends come next—20%, while the media, in this study, accounted for only 3.3%. Perhaps such a small percentage resulted from the fact that during the study I did not divide the concept of “mass media” into separate groups.
… And the main point in conducting this study is the fact that, when asking respondents about their future and how they see it, I assumed that over time the situation in shaping a person’s lifestyle through magazines may change, for example, in 10 years. The results were as follows: 40.0% of those surveyed see their future with material prosperity. For them, this is an important moment in life. But at the same time, 36.7% do not rule out the possibility that they will believe in God.
And summing up what has been said above, the following can be said: the formation of a lifestyle, one way or another, depends on what is “fashionable” and “prestigious,” but at the same time “expensive.” Because of this, many young people today want to see themselves as successful in their field. But one cannot ignore the fact that the formation of one lifestyle or another in society will proceed at a slow pace. We simply need to try to ensure that this does not turn into a mass epidemic. Unfortunately, we are powerless to stop the influence of the media, and therefore our main task remains to understand the full reality of what is happening and try not to succumb to mass “fashionable” trends.