ULYANOVSK, March 21. /TASS/. It is very important to protect the younger generation from Western propaganda and foster a greater sense of patriotism, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolay Patrushev said on Tuesday.

"The Internet is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for manipulating the mind and behavior. Young people are the first to be hit by this information aggression," he said. "In these conditions, it is important not only to protect the country’s population, primarily young people, from the influence of destructive ideas and organizations, but also to create conditions which promote the all-round development of personality, cultivating patriotism, civic consciousness, and strengthening spirituality."

According to the Russian security chief, it is necessary to create a culture that rejects various forms of deviant behavior, to teach young people to sort out fake information. "Concurrently, we must intensify measures to expose and thwart terrorist and extremist propaganda, promote legal literacy, including to inform people about accountability for participating in extremist and other illegal activities," Patrushev stressed, adding that it is also necessary to develop programs to support research and social projects against destructive ideologies and falsification of historical facts. "It is likewise important to improve coordination between state authorities and organizations to objectively highlight the development of the socio-political and socio-economic situation in the country," he added.