Children in the Digital World: New Challenges and Adult Responsibility – in the Latest Issue of the Journal "Psychology and Law"

We present to your attention a new thematic issue of the journal "Psychology and Law" (No. 3-2025), which addresses the social risks of modern childhood.

Scientific research helps the professional community and society as a whole to comprehend new phenomena, trends, and problems. This also applies to research in the field of modern childhood. The rapidly changing conditions in which our children live and develop contain both new opportunities and new risks. In particular, the processes of digitalization in social life possess such a dual nature. Often, children from an early age perceive gadgets and the internet space as a natural and integral part of their environment, and over the years – as part of themselves.

While having access to a vast information and communication resource, the interaction with which is not always subject to regulation, they may not consider the consequences of their actions online, which are sometimes quite reckless. How to prevent them from "falling off a cliff" they cannot see? To solve this task, adults must realize their key role in the "adult – child – internet space" triangle.

Dangers arise in cases where children have unlimited access to gadgets, the internet space, artificial intelligence, and are left to their own devices when interacting with them. It is the nearby adult who serves as the bearer of norms and culture for the child, and it depends on this adult how the child will build their relationships both in real and virtual life. Adults must be aware of the existing dangers of the digital environment and take measures to prevent them together with children. At the same time, despite the increasing role of the internet and artificial intelligence in the lives of young people, it should be noted that other types of risks outside the digital space persist.

Problems related to such types of behavioral deviations as addictive and aggressive behavior in adolescents, and methods for their prevention and correction, remain relevant. The research conducted by the authors of the publications in our thematic issue is dedicated to various aspects of this broad topic.

All articles of the issue can be read in open access on the portal of psychological publications PsyJournals.ru.

We invite you to the Telegram channel of the journal "Psychology and Law".