Transformation of Communication between Young Citizens and Local Self-Government in Social Networks: Case of Russia

The digitalization of public administration and the transition to good governance have naturally transformed the relationship between people and power. Modern youth as digital aborigines, most involved in daily life in digital communication on social networks, however, do not see the authorities as the real addressee of such communication. The purpose of the article: to study the communication of young people with local self-government in social networks in regions of the Russian Federation.

Methods of research: analysis of the indicators collected by parsing official pages of local self-government in the social network Vkontacte, in-depth interviews with young people.

Research results. Local government with the adoption of a separate federal law, were forced to establish official pages in social networks and enter into digital communication with the population. However, there was no communication in the format of "dialogue". Even the most active and innovative part of the population - youth - is not involved in digital communication with local authorities. Young people do not see this type of communication as "dialogue" and prospective. Involvement in communication with local self-government is determined by the personal attitudes and active citizenship of students rather than by the life situation. Previous experience of communication leads to interaction on a regular basis if it was positive, or forms the attitude that such communication is useless if it was negative, did not lead to a solution. Meaning the global trend of activation of state youth policy, detailed study of "mechanism" of activation of youth through communication with local self-government expands opportunities for setting priorities of the Youth-oriented policy.