Social Media Addiction and Youth Mental Health: Digital Cage Theory

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of social media on the mental health of young people. The “Digital Cage Theory” is proposed as a theoretical framework to explain this interaction and conceptually ground the multidimensional nature of social media addiction. The research methodology includes a literature review and a descriptive-interpretative approach, examining the relationship between young people’s social media usage habits and their mental health status. The findings reveal that excessive social media use can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem among young individuals. Additionally, it has been determined that the harmful effects of social media can negatively impact the quality of life of young people. The results emphasize the need for young individuals to balance their social media usage and manage their online interactions consciously. This study makes a significant contribution to understanding the effects of social media on youth mental health and encourages further research in this area. Moreover, the study introduces a new approach called the “Digital Cage Theory” (DCT), which discusses the presence of young individuals in the digital world.

Keywords

• Media sociology
• Social media use
• Youth sociology
• Mental health
• Impact
• Digital cage theory

Sosyal Medya Bağımlılığı ve Gençlerin Zihinsel Sağlığı: Dijital Kafes Teorisi

Abstract

Bu çalışma, sosyal medyanın gençlerin zihinsel sağlığı üzerindeki etkilerini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. “Dijital Kafes Teorisi” ise, bu etkileşimi açıklamak ve sosyal medya bağımlılığının çok boyutlu yapısını kavramsal olarak temellendirmek amacıyla yararlanılan bir kuramsal çerçeve olarak önerilmiştir. Araştırmanın yöntemi, literatür taraması ve betimsel yorumlayıcı yaklaşım olup, gençlerin sosyal medya kullanım alışkanlıkları ile zihinsel sağlık durumları arasındaki ilişki incelenmiştir. Bulgular, sosyal medyanın aşırı kullanımının gençlerde kaygı, depresyon ve düşük özsaygı gibi zihinsel sağlık sorunlarına yol açabileceğini ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca, sosyal medyanın zararlı etkilerinin gençlerin yaşam kalitesini olumsuz yönde etkileyebileceği tespit edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, gençlerin sosyal medya kullanımını dengelemeleri ve çevrimiçi etkileşimlerinin bilinçli bir şekilde yönetilmesi gerektiğini vurgulamaktadır. Bu çalışma, sosyal medyanın gençlerin zihinsel sağlığı üzerindeki etkilerini anlamak ve bu alanda daha fazla araştırma yapılmasını teşvik etmek amacıyla önemli bir katkı sunmaktadır. Makalede gençlerin dijital dünyadaki varlığını tartışan ve yeni bir yaklaşım olan “Dijital Kafes Teorisi” (DKT) geliştirilmiştir.

Keywords

• Medya sosyolojisi
• Sosyal medya kullanımı
• Gençlik sosyolojisi
• Zihinsel sağlık
• Etki
• Dijital kafes teorisi

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