Digital Loneliness and Social Media: A Theoretical and Platform-Based Analysis

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 18, 235 - 248, 30.09.2025

Büşra Sarıkaya

https://doi.org/10.30520/tjsosci.1754209

Abstract

The rapid development of digital technologies has profoundly transformed individuals’ social relationships, identity construction, and communication practices. One of the most striking outcomes of this transformation is that individuals, despite being more connected than ever before, increasingly report experiencing a sense of loneliness. This study aims to analyze the impact of social media platforms on individuals' experiences of loneliness through a theoretical, empirical, and platform-based approach. The concept of loneliness is examined within the frameworks of sociological (Durkheim, Simmel), psychological (Weiss, Peplau), and communication theories, and is categorized into three main types: social, emotional, and existential loneliness. In the case study section of the research, social media platforms with differing structural characteristics namely Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit are comparatively analyzed in terms of user interaction and psychosocial outcomes. The findings reveal the dual effect of social media: while factors such as superficial relationships, social comparison, and digital dependency tend to intensify feelings of loneliness, support groups, online communities, and meaningful interactions may serve to alleviate it. The relationship between social media and loneliness is shaped by factors such as individual usage patterns, the algorithmic architecture of the platform, and the quality of digital interaction.
The study emphasizes the importance of digital awareness, active and selective social media engagement, and media literacy in combating loneliness. It argues that individuals should cultivate a more conscious and meaningful relationship with technology. Furthermore, the study suggests that future research should adopt multidimensional analyses that take into account age, cultural context, and platform-specific differences.

Keywords

Social Media , New Media , Digital Communication

Dijital Yalnızlık ve Sosyal Medya: Kuramsal ve Platform Temelli Bir İnceleme

Abstract

Dijital teknolojilerin hızlı gelişimi, bireylerin sosyal ilişkilerini, kimlik inşasını ve iletişim pratiklerini köklü biçimde dönüştürmüştür. Bu dönüşümün en belirgin sonuçlarından biri, bireylerin daha önce hiç olmadığı kadar bağlı oldukları hâlde, artan bir yalnızlık hissi yaşamalarıdır. Bu çalışma, sosyal medya platformlarının bireylerin yalnızlık deneyimi üzerindeki etkilerini teorik, ampirik ve platform-temelli bir yaklaşımla analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Yalnızlık kavramı; sosyolojik (Durkheim, Simmel), psikolojik (Weiss, Peplau) ve iletişimsel kuramlar çerçevesinde açıklanmış; sosyal, duygusal ve varoluşsal yalnızlık türleri tanımlanmıştır. Çalışmanın örnek olay bölümünde Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ve Reddit gibi farklı yapısal özelliklere sahip platformlar kullanıcı etkileşimleri ve psikososyal çıktılar açısından karşılaştırmalı olarak ele alınmıştır. Bulgular, sosyal medyanın çift yönlü etkisini ortaya koymaktadır: Yüzeysel ilişkiler, sosyal karşılaştırmalar ve dijital bağımlılık gibi faktörler yalnızlık hissini artırırken; destek grupları, çevrimiçi topluluklar ve anlamlı etkileşimler bu hissi azaltabilmektedir. Sosyal medya ile yalnızlık arasındaki ilişki, bireysel kullanım biçimleri, platformun algoritmik yapısı ve dijital etkileşimin niteliği gibi faktörlerle şekillenmektedir. Çalışma, yalnızlıkla mücadelede dijital farkındalık, aktif ve seçici sosyal medya kullanımı ile medya okuryazarlığının önemine dikkat çekmekte; bireylerin teknolojiyle olan ilişkilerini daha bilinçli ve anlamlı hâle getirmeleri gerektiğini savunmaktadır. Ayrıca ileri araştırmalar için yaş, kültür ve platform farklılıklarını temel alan çok boyutlu analizler önerilmektedir.

Keywords

Sosyal Medya , Dijital İletişim , Yeni Medya

References

• Andreassen, C. S., Torsheim, T., Brunborg, G. S., & Pallesen, S. (2012). Development of a Facebook addiction scale. Psychological Reports, 110(2), 501–517. https://doi.org/10.2466/02.09.18.PR0.110.2.501-517
• Bauman, Z. (2000). Liquid Modernity. Polity Press.
• Bauman, Z. (2003). Liquid Love: On the Frailty of Human Bonds. Polity Press.
• Baudrillard, J. (1983). Simulations. Semiotext(e).
• Boyd, D. (2014). It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens. Yale University Press.
• Burke, M., & Kraut, R. E. (2016). The relationship between Facebook use and well-being depends on communication type and tie strength. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 21(4), 265–281. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12162
• Burke, M., Marlow, C., & Lento, T. (2010). Social network activity and social well-being. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '10) (pp. 1909–1912). https://doi.org/10.1145/1753326.1753613
• Castells, M. (2010). The Rise of the Network Society (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
• Chou, H. T. G., & Edge, N. (2012). “They are happier and having better lives than I am”: The impact of using Facebook on perceptions of others' lives. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(2), 117–121. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2011.0324
• Cotter, K., Cho, J., & Reisdorf, B. C. (2021). Algorithmic content curation and the filter bubble myth: A review of empirical evidence. New Media & Society, 23(9), 2544–2562. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820926472
• Derks, D., Fischer, A. H., & Bos, A. E. R. (2008). The role of emotion in computer-mediated communication: A review. Computers in Human Behavior, 24(3), 766–785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2007.04.004
• Deters, F. G., & Mehl, M. R. (2013). Does posting Facebook status updates increase or decrease loneliness? An online social networking experiment. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4(5), 579–586. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550612469233
• Durkheim, E. (1997). The Division of Labor in Society. Free Press.
• Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends”: Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), 1143–1168. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x
• Ellison, N. B., Vitak, J., Gray, R., & Lampe, C. (2014). Cultivating social resources on social network sites: Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors and their role in social capital processes. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 19(4), 855–870. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12078
• Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P. C., Vartanian, L. R., & Halliwell, E. (2015). Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young women’s body image concerns and mood. Body Image, 13, 38–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.12.002
• Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202
• Frankl, V. E. (1984). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.
• Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Anchor Books.
• Karadzhov, D. (2021). Emotional coping and collective affect on TikTok during COVID-19: An exploratory study. Media, Culture & Society, 43(6), 1055–1073. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443721994539
• Kim, J., LaRose, R., & Peng, W. (2009). Loneliness as the cause and the effect of problematic Internet use: The relationship between Internet use and psychological well-being. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(4), 451–455. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2008.0327
• Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2015). Social networking sites and addiction: Ten lessons learned. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(3), 1286–1306. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120201286
• Manovich, L. (2001). The Language of New Media. MIT Press.
• Mijuskovic, B. L. (2012). Loneliness in Philosophy, Psychology, and Literature. iUniverse.
• Montag, C., Yang, H., & Elhai, J. D. (2021). On the psychology of TikTok use: A first glimpse from empirical findings. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 641673. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.641673
• Naslund, J. A., Aschbrenner, K. A., Marsch, L. A., & Bartels, S. J. (2016). The future of mental health care: Peer-to-peer support and social media. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 25(2), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796015001067
• Nesi, J. (2020). The impact of social media on youth mental health: Challenges and opportunities. North Carolina Medical Journal, 81(2), 116–121. https://doi.org/10.18043/ncm.81.2.116
• Nguyen, M. H., Gruber, J., Fuchs, J., Marler, W., Hunsaker, A., & Hargittai, E. (2020). Changes in digital communication during the COVID-19 global pandemic: Implications for digital inequality and future research. Social Media And Society, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120948255
• Nowland, R., Necka, E. A., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2018). Loneliness and social Internet use: Pathways to reconnection in a digital world? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(1), 70–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617713052
• Papacharissi, Z. (2012). A Networked Self: Identity, Community, and Culture on Social Network Sites. Routledge.
• Peplau, L. A., & Perlman, D. (1982). Loneliness: A Sourcebook of Current Theory, Research and Therapy. Wiley.
• Statista. (2025). Most popular social networks worldwide 2025, ranked by number of monthly active users. https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/
• Simmel, G. (1908). Soziologie: Untersuchungen über die Formen der Vergesellschaftung. Duncker & Humblot.
• Tönnies, F. (1887). Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft. Leipzig: Fues’s Verlag. https://www.deutschestextarchiv.de/book/view/toennies_gemeinschaft_1887?p=20
• Turkle, S. (2011). Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Basic Books.
• Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003
• Van den Eijnden, R. J., Lemmens, J. S., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2016). The Social Media Disorder Scale. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 478–487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.038
• Verduyn, P., Ybarra, O., Résibois, M., Jonides, J., & Kross, E. (2015). Do social network sites enhance or undermine subjective well-being? A critical review. Social Issues and Policy Review, 9(1), 274–302. https://doi.org/10.1111/sipr.12022
• Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), 206–222. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000010
• Weiss, R. S. (1973). Loneliness: The Experience of Emotional and Social Isolation. MIT Press.
• Wirth, L. (1938). Urbanism as a way of life. American Journal of Sociology, 44(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1086/217913
• Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy. Basic Books.
• Zhao, S., Grasmuck, S., & Martin, J. (2008). Identity construction on Facebook: Digital empowerment in anchored relationships. Computers in Human Behavior, 24(5), 1816–1836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2008.02.012