Directions for Spiritual and Intellectual Upbringing and Teachingof Youth in the 21st Century

The global informatization of society, despite the enormous opportunities it provides for people, has a devastating effect on the individual. There is every reason to believe that the new generation of the digital society may grow up to be superficially minded, easily controlled from the outside, and will have trouble building real relationships. Unspirituality is a significant problem that affects society at various levels. It reflects a decline in moral, cultural, and spiritual values, which leads to the overall degradation of society and the individual. Spirituality is unconscious in humans. It explains the phenomena of conscience and other higher experiences: faith, love, hope, goodness, freedom, responsibility, etc. The formation of the spiritual world of modern youth, the disclosure of its spiritual and intellectual potential should occupy one of the leading places in educational institutions. Spiritually oriented education at the present stage of society's development should become the most effective factor in the formation of a spiritual personality. A spiritually perfect personality is the result of a person's long, hard work on himself or herself, work aimed at gradual self-improvement, conscious building of oneself in order to approach the chosen ideal, which harmoniously combines high human virtues, which makes it possible to fulfill and realize oneself, and thus experience the fullness of human happiness. The education system shapes the future of society, so it is important that the entire education process is subordinated to the task of forming a personality - a person with high positive qualities, capable of a happy life, active self-realization in all spheres of life for their own and the common good - a harmonious personality. To this end, the following areas of spiritual and intellectual upbringing and teaching are offered: development of critical thinking and independence; ethical education; cultural and intercultural education; development of creative abilities; promotion of social interaction and leadership; digital literacy. Examples of relevant lessons that address these objectives are provided. The complex combination of the proposed areas makes spiritual and intellectual upbringing a holistic process aimed at developing a personality capable of self-improvement and achieving harmony in all spheres of life.