Digitalization of education during the pandemic of COVID-19 fosters the problem of learning motivation of high school students, the polarity in the development of emotional intelligence may appear. The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship between indicators of learning motivation and emotional intelligence in terms of digitalization among high school students. The sample consisted of 63 high school students aged 16 to 17 years. Research methods were questionnaires: “Learning motivation of high school students” (Lukyanova & Kalinina, 2004); "Motivation for success and fear of failure" (Rean, 1999); "Test of emotional intelligence" (Lyusin, 1999); "Emotional intelligence test" (Hall, adapted by Knyazev, Mitrofanova & Bocharov, 2013). The results of the study showed the domination of the affiliation and social motivation of high school students. It means the desire to take a certain position in relations with others and the necessity to have authority in the referent group. The relationship between the general level of emotional intelligence of high school students and the general level of learning motivation was determined. It was recognized that emotion as a special type of knowledge is related to the category of “intelligence” and enables a person to successfully adapt to changing conditions. Emotions and intellect allow motivation to solve cognitive tasks and to build constructive communication.