SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF EXCESSIVE VIRTUALIZATION OF INFORMATION SPACE ДЛЯ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE PHYSICIANS

Abstract

The article highlights the socio-psychological consequences of excessive virtualization of the information space for the professional development of future physicians. Based on a combination of contemporary Ukrainian and international research, it analyzes the dynamics of changes occurring in the structure of medical students’ professional identity under the influence of digital technologies, simulation-based learning, virtual and augmented reality, as well as their constant presence in digital environments. The theoretical section outlines key concepts of virtualization, the phenomenon of information overload, the formation of synthetic communication forms, and the impact of digital interaction on the motivational and emotional-regulatory domains of future professionals. The empirical section presents data from a study involving students of 3nd–5th years of medical universities, aimed at identifying risks of fragmentation of professional identity, reduced stress resilience, emotional exhaustion, weakened reflective capacity, and increased dependence on digital learning formats. The applied methods made it possible to determine that excessive engagement in virtual environments correlates with a reduced ability for empathic contact and difficulties in forming a stable professional self-image. Particular attention is given to the phenomenon of «virtual competence» which, on the one hand, becomes a resource for professionalization, yet on the other hand generates risks of superficial knowledge acquisition and reliance on rapid digital cues instead of developing clinical thinking. The results indicate that a balanced integration of online and offline learning formats, along with the development of critical thinking, digital hygiene, and emotional regulation, constitutes key factors supporting healthy professional development of future physicians in a highly virtualized society. The article offers a set of recommendations for the educational process aimed at reducing the negative effects of virtualization and strengthening students’ adaptive resources. It emphasizes the importance of forming a coherent professional identity among future doctors as a prerequisite for psychological resilience, professional reliability, and responsible medical practice in the context of digital transformation.