The reflection of the needs of today's young people through the film preferences and perceptions of superheroes in the conditions of transitivity

Abstract

The article discusses the popular culture, on the example of cinema, as the space in which the socialization of modern youth occurs in conditions of social transitivity. Cinema is considered not only as one of the main sources of informational influence, influencing the formation of ideas about reality, attitudes, values, behavior patterns. It is stated that watching a movie or a series can be a specific coping strategy, allowing the viewer to identify themselves with the characters and metaphorically live on-screen history, overcome their own difficulties and build their own identity. It is described the current situation, characterized by the increasing popularity of TV shows and the time spent by teenagers and young men watching them, as well as the constant increase in the popularity of superheroes films that have become one of the most significant and fastest growing areas of popular culture. The reasons for the constant attractiveness of these mass culture products are analyzed. The article presents the results of two pilot studies. In the first study, devoted to the study of the psychological characteristics of the youth of the TV series, interrelations were found between the motives of choice and the perception of the series and the features of identity, as well as personal dispositions of the teenage and youthful series. The second study is devoted to identifying ideas about superheroes and the preferred characteristics of the characters, the most popular among modern viewers. Ideas about superheroes and preferred characteristics of Batman, Iron Man and Spiderman characters, most popular among modern viewers, were revealed. It is shown that despite the fact that modern superheroes have super-technological means of strengthening their own power, the audience is guided by their human and "non-superhuman" characteristics that make them related to the heroes of the past. Sex and age differences influenced the perception of the preferred characteristics of the chosen superheroes were identified, which allowed to highlight the "heroic" qualities of priority for men and women, teenagers and young men.