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Teknolojinin İzleri: Bekar Bireylerin Yalnızlık Algıları ve Sosyal Bağlantılarındaki Dönüşüm

Year 2025, Volume: 22 Issue: 3, 474 - 485, 31.05.2025
https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1658993

Abstract

Bu araştırma, dijital teknolojilerin 18-35 yaş arasındaki bekâr bireylerin yalnızlık algıları ve sosyal bağlantıları üzerindeki etkilerini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmada, 44 katılımcı ile gerçekleştirilen yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yoluyla veri toplanmıştır. Bulgular, beş ana tema etrafında şekillenmiştir: Genel Deneyim ve Algılar, Sosyal Bağlantılar ve İlişkiler, Yalnızlık ve Dijital Etkileşim, Dijital Teknolojilerin Avantaj ve Dezavantajları, Bekârlık ve Dijital Deneyimler. Katılımcılar, dijital teknolojilerin sosyal ilişkileri hem güçlendirdiğini hem de yüzeysel hale getirdiğini belirtmiştir. Yalnızlık hissiyle başa çıkmada sosyal medyanın kısa vadeli çözümler sunduğu, ancak uzun vadede yetersiz kaldığı görülmüştür. Dijital platformların bireylerin sosyalleşmesine katkı sağlarken, yüz yüze iletişim eksikliğinin duygusal tatmini azalttığı belirlenmiştir. Bu çalışma, dijital çağda yalnızlık ve sosyal bağlantılar arasındaki dinamikleri anlamaya yönelik önemli bulgular sunmaktadır. Sosyal hizmet ve psikoloji alanlarında, yalnızlıkla başa çıkmada dijital araçların nasıl daha etkili kullanılabileceğine dair stratejilerin geliştirilmesi önerilmektedir.

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Traces of Technology: The Transformation of Single Individuals' Perceptions of Loneliness and Social Connections

Year 2025, Volume: 22 Issue: 3, 474 - 485, 31.05.2025
https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1658993

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of digital technologies on the perceptions of loneliness and social connections among single individuals aged 18-35. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 44 participants. Findings were categorized into five main themes: General Experience and Perceptions, Social Connections and Relationships, Loneliness and Digital Interaction, Advantages and Disadvantages of Digital Technologies, and Singlehood and Digital Experiences. Participants reported that digital technologies both strengthen and make social relationships more superficial. Social media provides short-term relief for loneliness, but it is insufficient in the long run. While digital platforms contribute to socialization, the lack of face-to-face interaction reduces emotional satisfaction. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamics between loneliness and social connections in the digital age. It is recommended to develop strategies in social work and psychology to utilize digital tools more effectively in addressing loneliness.

References

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  • Alhojailan, M.I. (2012) Thematic analysis: A critical review of its process and evaluation. West East Journal of Social Sciences, 1, 39-47.
  • Armstrong-Carter, E., & Telzer, E. H. (2021). Advancing measurement and research on youths’ prosocial behavior in the digital age. Child Development Perspectives, 15(1), 31–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12396
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  • Bauman, M. H. (2024). Loneliness: In the middle of everywhere (Master’s thesis). University of Washington.
  • Boyatzis, R. E. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Sage Publications, Inc.
  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2012). Thematic analysis. In H. Cooper, P. M. Camic, D. L. Long, A. T. Panter, D. Rindskopf, & K. J. Sher (Eds.), APA handbook of research methods in psychology, Vol. 2. Research designs: Quantitative, qualitative, neuropsychological, and biological (pp. 57–71). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/13620-004
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  • Erdoğan, B. (2019). Modern toplumda yalnız yaşamak, yeni bir norm olarak bekârlık. Sosyologca, 9-10(18-19), 293-300.
  • Erdoğan, B. (2020). Modern toplumda yalnız yaşamak, yeni bir norm olarak bekârlık. Sosyologca, 18-19, 293-312.
  • Fineberg, N. A., Menchón, J. M., Hall, N., Dell’Osso, B., Brand, M., Potenza, M. N., et al. (2022). Advances in problematic usage of the internet research – A narrative review. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 118, 152346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2022.152346
  • Gawer, A. (2021). Digital platforms’ boundaries: The interplay of firm scope, platform sides, and digital interfaces. Long Range Planning, 54, 102045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2020.10-2045
  • Gkeredakis, M., Lifshitz-Assaf, H., & Barrett, M. (2021). Crisis as opportunity, disruption, and exposure: Exploring emergent responses to crisis through digital technology. Information and Organization, 31, 100344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoandorg.2021.100344
  • Golmohammadi, L. (2023). Loneliness, touch, and its digital mediation (Doctoral dissertation). UCL Institute of Education.
  • Goodarzi, S., Jiang, J., Head, M., & Lu, X. (2023). Exploring the impact of online social participation on loneliness in older adults: Evidence from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. International Journal of Information Management, 73, 102685. https://doi.org/10.-1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102685
  • Gutzmann, L. (2018). Utilization of social media in strengthening communication in long-distance relationships (Master’s thesis). University of St. Thomas, Minnesota.
  • Güçlü, H. (2022). Dijital iletişim çağında sosyalleşme ve yalnızlaşma; günlük rutin, boş zaman, sosyal medya (Yüksek lisans tezi, İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi, İletişim Bilimi ve İnternet Enstitüsü, Medya ve İletişim Anabilim Dalı). İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi Tez Arşivi.
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  • Hosen, B. (2023). Navigating the borderless horizon: A review study of challenges & opportunities of borderless world. International Journal of Research on Social and Natural Sciences, 8(2). ISSN 2455-5916. http://www.katwacollegejournal.com
  • Huang, Q., & Kumarasinghe, P. J. (2024). Unleashing global opportunities: Exploring the digitalization journey of SMEs in China and Sri Lanka’s thriving e-commerce landscapes. Heliyon, 10, e36621. https://doi.org/10.1016-/j.heliyon.2024.e36621
  • Hughes, G., Moore, L., Hennessy, M., Sandset, T., Jentoft, E. E., & Haldar, M. (2024). What kind of a problem is loneliness? Representations of connectedness and participation from a study of telepresence technologies in the UK. Frontiers in Digital Health, 6. https://doi.-org/10.3389/fdgth.2024.1304085
  • Javornik, A., Marder, B., Barhorst, J. B., McLean, G., Rogers, Y., Marshall, P., & Warlop, L. (2022). What lies behind the filter? Computers in Human Behavior, 128, 107126. https://doi.org/10.-1016/j.chb.2021.107126
  • Jia, W., Liu, L., & Peng, G. (2024). The impact of social media on users’ self-efficacy and loneliness: An analysis of the mediating mechanism of social support. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 17, 593-612. https://doi.org/-10.2147/PRBM.S449079
  • Jiang, Y., & Stylos, N. (2021). Triggers of consumers’ enhanced digital engagement and the role of digital technologies in transforming the retail ecosystem during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 172, 121029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121029
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Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Social Media Studies, Communication and Media Studies (Other)
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Çağla Girgin 0000-0001-8440-6320

Early Pub Date May 26, 2025
Publication Date May 31, 2025
Submission Date March 16, 2025
Acceptance Date May 24, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 22 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Girgin, Ç. (2025). Traces of Technology: The Transformation of Single Individuals’ Perceptions of Loneliness and Social Connections. OPUS Journal of Society Research, 22(3), 474-485. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1658993