The paper studies discussions in the online news media. The dynamic processof increasing the number of comments on an article published on a news site is considered. The proposed model distinguishes between comments on the text of the article itself (root comments), and comments on comments (discussion). To test the model, two empirical cases are considered, which are sets of user comments on two political articles published in The Guardian. Empirical time series have been constructed for the number of comments of both types; these series were juxtaposed with the results of the calculation based on the model. For each of the two cases, it was found that the model dynamics for each of the variables basically correspond to the empirical ones. Consequently, the present study demonstrates the qualitative concordance between the proposed model and empirical observations. Moreover, our findings reveal that the dynamics of discourse are influenced not solely by the inherent interest evoked by the article, but also by the degree to which user engagement is propelled by the comments themselves. In other words, readers do not just comment on the article but also form a discussion.

This article is devoted to the actual problems of the organization and implementation of the educational process during the new coronavirus infection COVID-19. The authors consider two aspects of digital transformation in Russian education – from the point of view of the use of digital technologies to automate various processes of educational organizations and from the point of view of the introduction of a complex of digital technologies in order to build a learning model that will be based on the effective use of these technologies to solve professional tasks.The article emphasizes that the process of digitalization of society in our country developed evenly, without any special jumps, but the pandemic served as a catalyst for the development of digital technologies, and the process of digitalization itself was divided into “before” and “after” the beginning of the pandemic. During the pandemic, the younger generation artificially fell out of the mainstream not only of full-fledged socialization, which takes place within educational institutions and in the circle of teachers and peers, but also found themselves facing numerous problems related to the violation of the traditional educational process. In many ways, teachers and staff of the Faculty of Sociology of Lomonosov Moscow State University were able to overcome this problem by quickly and effectively rebuilding the educational process so that it did not lose its traditionally high quality.The authors of the article share their experience in organizing the educational process at the Faculty of Sociology of Lomonosov Moscow State University, which took place in the so-called mixed format for almost two years and was accompanied by the active introduction of the latest educational technologies, including synchronous (video conferences, video consultations and feedback online, chat rooms, Skype communication, virtual classes) and asynchronous e-learning, as well as project-based learning and the so-called “inverted classroom”. The results of educational monitoring are presented, which showed the high efficiency of the educational process at the Faculty of Sociology in difficult conditions.The authors also considered the key trends of digitalization of education, identified its positive aspects and analyzed in detail the negative aspects, a special place among which is occupied by the virtualization of education as a social institution.

Изучается динамика общественного внимания к эпидемии COVID-19 в ряде стран. При этом в качестве индикатора общественного внимания взято количество поисковых запросов в Google, сделанных в течение суток пользователями изданной страны. В эмпирической части работы рассмотрены данные относительно количества запросов и количества новых заболевших для ряда стран. Показано, что во всех рассмотренных странах максимум общественного внимания наступил ранее максимума количества новых зараженных за день. Тем самым обнаружено, что в течение некоторого периода времени рост эпидемии происходит параллельно со спадом общественного внимания к ней. Также показано, что спад количества запросов описывается экспоненциальной функцией времени. Для того чтобы описать выявленную эмпирическую зависимость, предложена математическая модель, представляющая собой модификацию модели спада внимания после одноразового политического события. Модель развивает подход, рассматривающий принятие решения индивидом как членом социума, в котором происходит информационный процесс. В рамках этого подхода предполагается, что решение индивида о том, делать ли в данный день поисковый запрос на тему COVID, формируется на основании двух факторов. Один изн их — это установка, отражающая долгосрочную заинтересованность индивида в данной теме и аккумулирующая предыдущий опыт индивида, его культурные предпочтения, социальное и экономическое положение. Второй — динамический фактор общественного внимания к данному процессу — изменяется в течение рассматриваемого процесса под влиянием информационных стимулов. Применительно к рассматриваемой тематике информационные стимулы связны с эпидемической динамикой. Пове- денческая гипотеза состоит в том, что если в некоторый день сумма установки и динамического фактора превышает некоторую пороговую величину, то в этот день индивид делает поисковый запрос на тему COVID. Общая логика состоит в том, что чем выше скорость роста числа заболевших, тем выше информационный стимул, тем медленнее убывает общественное внимание к пандемии. Таким образом, построенная модель позволила соотнести скорость экспоненциального убывания количества запросов со скоростью роста количества заболевших. Обнаруженная с помощью модели закономерность проверена на эмпирических данных. Получено, что статистика Стьюдента равна 4,56, что позволяет отклонить гипотезу об отсутствии корреляционной связи с уровнем значимости 0,01.

This article presents an overview of the models developed by researchers for the visual representation of a complex and multidimensional communicative process, which reflect the most essential elements of the real communication process, the views of scientists on the communication process, as well as the most pressing problems that attracted their attention at one time or another. According to the author, at present, due to the development and active introduction of electronic and digital communication technologies into communication processes, the key components of communication models have been significantly transformed, and their functional purpose has changed significantly. In this regard, considerable attention is paid in the article to the vectors of the indicated transformation, among which is the qualitative expansion of the sphere of social communication, the change in the way information is transmitted and such elements of the communicative process as the communicator – audience. The article presents the author's interpretation of the transformation of the H. Lasswell model in the digital age. The author believes that when transporting a message with information, in addition to the physical medium of distribution (air, computer network, etc.), the distribution structure, which is increasingly acquiring a network character, has a great importance on efficiency. In the case of a network structure for the distribution of a message with information and the simultaneous receipt of a message with information by a large number of recipients, the "time of interest" of the recipients to the incoming information is of great importance. The article analyzes new properties characteristic of digital communications. Thus, the source of information (communicator) in the digital era may be unknown, the message sent by the communicator in the digital era may be adjusted according to the recipient, communication channels in the digital era can also be adjusted to a specific user, the number of information sources for the recipient in the digital era increases significantly, but in practice the recipient of information turns to a limited number of sources, when at the same time, believing that he has full freedom of access to information. The most important feature of the communication effect in the digital age is that in the conditions of rapid development of virtual social networks, the recipient himself can be a source of mass information. Thus, the development of digital technologies and network communication structures, although it is an important vector of transformation of the communication structure of society in the digital age, has ambiguous consequences for the development of society

This study of the Runet virtual social environments deals with identifying and analyzing user reactions to watching a video clip containing outrageous behavior, and studying social attitudes of the respondents. The Celebrium-X platform employing the adjoint ideomotion technology for remote collection and processing of group neuro-responses was chosen as a research tool. As the empirical basis of the research, the raw data obtained as a result of the conducted survey was used. The results of the study have shown the respondents' negative attitude to publishing of outrageous video clips in virtual social environments. The Internet audience realizes a negative effect produced by the aggressive content on people's psychological sphere and social behavior. Received: 12 October 2021 / Accepted: 11 December 2021 / Published: 3 January 2022

This article is devoted to the main socio-economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic in the world and in Russia. The new COVID-19 coronavirus infection, which has infected more than 36 million people worldwide since December 2019 (data as of October 20, 2020), not only caused chaos in economics and collapse of social activity (due to widespread quarantine or, as in Russia, voluntary lockdown). It became a catalyst for technological changes that can stay with us for a long time even after the creation of a medicine or vaccine. Robotic dogs on guard of public health are only one of the signs of the new time, which are already visible in various areas of human life. Initially, the article focuses on the economic consequences of a viral infection. Its influence on migration and demographic consequences is considered. Its influence on the subsequent state of health is also traced. The authors analyzed the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the prospects for labor force development and employment.

Ensuring a high quality of teaching mathematics to students is inextricably linked with teaching how to solve creative mathematical problems. These problems traditionally include tasks of high educational, developmental and diagnostic value. Teaching how to solve such problems allows training graduates with the highest level of the subject knowledge. The problem under study is relevant due to the need to form students' ability to solve problems with parameters in order to achieve high results in mathematics, intellectual and personal growth. The problem has a new meaning during temporary distance learning, emphasizing the need to create educational and methodological materials that allow students to organize self-education on complex topics in mathematics. The purpose of this research is to develop and describe a teaching methodology for solving problems with parameters based on the allocation of basic (key) problems. The authors have developed a methodology for constructing a system of tasks based on systematizing the theoretical and task material, highlighting students' basic knowledge and skills, describing the intra- and inter-subject connections of the topic "Equation of a circle in tasks with parameters". This methodology includes a typology of problems with parameters containing the equation of a circle, a substantiated description of the system of basic (key) problems, the role and content of the propaedeutic stage of teaching. The materials have passed multi-stage approbation and shown their consistency in achieving high results in mathematics. They can help teachers to prepare lessons and extracurricular activities, authors to provide teaching aids for students and teachers, and serve as the basis for a special course for students of pedagogical universities.

Статья посвящена вопросам, связанным с политическими коммуникациями в виртуальных социальных средах Интернета. Рассматриваются особенности виртуальных социальных сред по сравнению с традиционными средствами массовой информации. Анализируется степень влияния виртуальных социальных сред Интернета на уровень демократизации государства и выборные процессы. Обсуждается российское законодательство, регулирующее дистанционное электронное голосование. Отмечается, что виртуальные социальные среды Интернета способны оказывать существенное влияние на текущую политическую ситуацию, объединять и политически воздействовать на большие социальные группы людей, обеспечивать доступ к актуальной информации, перспективны в плане развития электронных сервисов обращения граждан и проведения интернет-голосований. Статья представляет интерес для специалистов, занимающихся проблемами политических коммуникаций в виртуальных социальных средах, дистанционного электронного голосования.

The paper deals with analyzing particularities of genesis and functioning of the deep state within various political regimes. A deep state is a networking structure integrating various interest groups in a low-profile format; its resource superiority enables it to control the country's social and political process partially or completely. With the course of time, it is procuring of reproduction of its structure that inevitably becomes the priority aim of the deep state. It can take on numerous quite specific forms; meanwhile, its power can be ensured both by the military and security resources and by less heavy-handed means.

The article analyzes the processes taking place in the youth environment in the context of digitalization of society. The role of social networks is discussed. Since its inception, network analysis has been formed as an interdisciplinary direction in which psychologists, sociologists, communication specialists, anthropologists, mathematicians and statisticians combine their efforts. The social network as a way of organizing social knowledge requires a special methodological approach, different from the traditional methods of analyzing sociological information. “Digital habits” significantly affect the behavior of young people, change the “traditional” way of life. The article is of interest to specialists dealing with problems of sociology of youth, sociology of global processes, methodology of sociological research.

The urgent transfer of education in Russia to a distance format in the context of a pandemic has significant differences from a properly planned online learning based on wide-scale open online courses. Educational organizations that are forced to work with students remotely in order to reduce the risks of the spread of coronavirus should be aware of this difference when assessing the effectiveness of so-called "online learning" using distance learning technologies. Such a drastic measure was forced and urgent. Not all universities were ready for this radical restructuring of the educational process based on objectively different levels of development of information infrastructure, provision of disciplines with electronic educational resources, and readiness of teachers to use digital platforms and services in the educational process. This article analyzes the capabilities of online educational platforms and the opinions of students and teachers, who teach and study online in conditions of the pandemic.

The article examines the influence of social capital on the quality of life of the Russian population and its particular components. The authors point to the problem associated with the social capital of the individual and determine the levels, namely the micro-level (interaction of individuals), meso-level (interaction with organizations), and macro-level (interaction with government bodies, etc.), which form the social capital. In the course of the analysis, the authors reveal the theoretical and methodological approaches of foreign and Russian scientists to the concept of social capital and its components. Based on empirical data from sociological research conducted in 2019, the article analyzes the structure of values of the adult population of Russia, highlights the characteristics of social capital and the degree of their influence on the formation of the quality of life. In the course of the research, the authors focus on the micro-level of the formation and influence of social capital, highlighting such components as a social activity and material security of an individual. In the course of the study, it was found that the social capital of a person affects the quality of a person's life, to a certain extent, forming the circle of his/her interests and values, as well as providing real opportunities for the realization of the interests of the individual and meeting his/her needs. The obtained results of the analysis can be useful for further study of the quality of life.

The paper studies the model of «Power-Society» system with two clans and bipolar reaction of the society. The «Power-Society» model describes the dynamics of distribution of power in hierarchy. This dynamics is influenced by society. Continuous-time «Power-Society» model has the form of parabolic equation in the case of continuous hierarchy, and the form of system of ordinary differential equations in the case of discrete hierarchy. The discrete-time model considered in this paper has the form of five dynamical equations. Bipolar reaction of the society refers to the situation with two stable distributions of power. In other words, for each government official two values are possible for the volume of power. Each of these values is considered by society as desirable. If each official holds the greater volume, we say that there is the «strong hand» distribution, if they all hold the smaller volume, this is the participatory distribution. Bureaucratic clans are an association of bureaucrats united by common interests and pursuing common goals, generally speaking, different from those of society as a whole. The paper considers a simple hierarchy of five officials, of which one is the head and four others form two competing clans. The system is studied numerically. It is shown, in particular, that in this system, the clan's lust for power significantly affects how quickly it manages to increase its power, however, the achieved amount of power itself almost does not depend on the lust for power, but is determined by the reaction of society.

Purpose of the study: This study discusses questions associated with the analysis of the most relevant communication topics of sight-disabled people in the Internet communities. According to the World Health Organization, there are about 1.3 billion people worldwide who live with a form of vision disorder. For solving a broad range of social problems of the sight-disabled, interest-based virtual social communities are created in the global internet network. By analyzing the content of these communities, one can judge about the most relevant topics of interest for sight-disabled people. Methodology: In this work, search and study of the Internet communities of sight-disabled people have been conducted in the VK (Russia)] social network. Using the Popsters service of analytics of social network posts and pages, the authors have analyzed the content of the said communities and identified the most relevant topics for this category of citizens. In the research, the hypothesis was used about a stable and significant statistical relation existing between the activity of users in the Internet communities associated with a particular topic and the level of significance of the selected topic for them. Main Findings: The development of information and communication technologies promotes socialization and integration of sight-disabled people into the civic society. The Internet communities of sight-disabled people focused on various topics are registered in the VK social network. The state has to more extensively support and develop technologies contributing to socialization and integration of sight-disabled people into the civic society. Applications of this study: The research findings can be of interest for specialists dealing with problems of socialization and social adaptation of people having vision limitations. Novelty/Originality of this study: It has been found that the Internet communities with the user-supplemented content have the highest quantity of users registered. The topics range of posts in these Internet communities is quite diverse. Posts asserting the traditional life principles: compassion, assistance, overcoming difficulties – win the highest users' response.