wired/wireless technologies. Today, the Internet is the physical basis for the placement
of information resources and services (hypertext or multimedia documents, e-mail,
other electronic communications).
The essence of electronic communications is not fully understood. According to
the Russian researcher of the theory of communications A. Sokolov, "the potential of
electronic communication was not only not fully realized, but even not understood by
public opinion (except for science fiction writers)" [37, p. 139].
From the philosophical and ideological point of view, the phenomenon of
electronic communications was considered by M. McLuhan (media theorist and
communications) and A. Toffler (author of the concept of post-industrial society). In
particular, M. McLuhan in 1962 focused on the study of the phenomenon of electronic
communications and the formation of an "electronic society", considering
telecommunications as a new social reality. The scholar argued that society would be
automatically monitored through electronic communications, as is the case in
economic processes.
A. Toffler in 1980 introduced the notion of information space – electronic
communications, through which the individual and collective messages and needs of
people will be effectively implemented. A. Toffler argued that the socio-technical and
informational link would help adapt economic production to the personal needs of
individuals (for example, today some multinational companies such as Amazon have
become powerful thanks to the implementation of this very principle of electronic
communications).
The scientific definition of the meaning of electronic communications tried to give
different researchers. So, A. Sokolov considers electronic communication as a separate
type of semantic social communication, based on telecommunication and optical-
magnetic means of preservation and transmission of information [38, p. 22]. Domestic
researcher V. Bebik encompasses telecommunication technologies (fixed and mobile
telephony, telefax, radio and television, cinema and multimedia), as well as network
technologies (Internet and e-mail) [4, p. 18]. According to N. Moseyeva, electronic
communication – "this is a consequence of the development of information technology
and, first of all, automated technologies for the generation, processing, storage,
transmission and dissemination of documented information" [19, р. 49]. The researcher
N. Paraffinik believes that electronic communication, built on space radio and
computer technology, uses an electronic medium instead of paper for a document
without changing its essence as a source of information [23, р. 11]. G. Shvetsova-
Vodka, under the electronic communication, understands the use of computer and
telecommunication equipment in the process of transmitting information, which
transforms an informational message into a computer-readable form. The scientist
argues that through a computer, as a technical device for recording, storing and
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