‘NEET’ Gençlerde Dijital Sosyalleşme: Psikososyal Süreçler ve Toplumsal Entegrasyon Üzerine Uzman Görüşlerine Dayalı Nitel Bir Analiz

Abstract

Bu çalışma, ‘NEET’ gençlerin sosyal medya kullanımını ekonomik, psikolojik ve sosyo-kültürel kırılganlıkların dijital ortamdaki yansımaları üzerinden incelemektedir. Araştırma bulguları, eğitim ve istihdamdan kopuşun, aile içi baskı ve çatışmaların, toplumsal cinsiyet temelli kısıtların ve akran ilişkilerindeki zayıflamanın gençleri dijital alana yönelten temel etkenler olduğunu göstermektedir. Sosyal medya, bu koşullar altında bir iletişim aracı olmanın ötesinde görünürlük kazanma, aidiyet oluşturma, duygusal düzenleme ve benlik değerini koruma gibi ihtiyaçların karşılandığı alternatif bir psikososyal alan olarak ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bulgular, gençlerin dijital ortamda daha kontrollü bir kimlik sunumu geliştirdiklerini, reddedilme riskinin azalmasıyla çevrimdışı ilişkilerde zorlandıkları alanları çevrimiçi düzlemde telafi ettiklerini göstermektedir. Bununla birlikte, sosyal medyanın aşırı kullanımı karşılaştırma baskısı, yetersizlik duygusu ve sosyal geri çekilme gibi yeni kırılganlıklar da üretebilmektedir. Çalışma genel olarak, dijital pratiklerin ‘NEET’ gençliğin toplumsal dışlanma deneyimleriyle yakından ilişkili olduğunu; dijital katılımın ancak psikososyal destek, somut fırsatlar ve gençlere uygun sosyal çevrelerle birleştiğinde güçlendirici bir yapıya dönüşebileceğini ortaya çıkarmaktadır.

Keywords

• NEET
• NEETgenç
• dijitalkırılganlık
• sosyalmedyakullanımı
• dijitaldışlanma

Digital Socialisation Among NEET Youth: A Qualitative Analysis Based on Expert Opinions on Psychosocial Processes and Social Integration

Abstract

This study examines the social media use of NEET youth through the lens of economic, psychological, and socio-cultural vulnerabilities reflected in the digital environment. Research findings indicate that disengagement from education and employment, family pressure and conflicts, gender-based constraints, and weakened peer relationships are the primary factors driving young people toward the digital sphere. Under these conditions, social media emerges as an alternative psychosocial space that goes beyond being a communication tool, fulfilling needs such as gaining visibility, forming a sense of belonging, regulating emotions, and preserving self-worth. The findings show that young people develop a more controlled presentation of their identity in the digital environment, compensating online for areas where they struggle in offline relationships due to a reduced risk of rejection. However, excessive use of social media can also create new vulnerabilities such as comparison pressure, feelings of inadequacy, and social withdrawal. Overall, the study reveals that digital practices are closely intertwined with social exclusion among NEET youth; digital participation can only be empowering when combined with psychosocial support, concrete opportunities, and youth-friendly social environments.

Keywords

• NEET
• NEETyouth
• digitalvulnerability
• socialmediause
• digitalexclusion

References

1. Alfieri, S., Sironi, E., Marta, E., Rosina, A., & Marzana, D. (2015). Young Italian NEETs (not in employment, education, or training) and the influence of their family background. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 11(2), 311–322. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v11i2.901
2. ​Amendola, S. (2021). Trends in rates of NEET (not in education, employment, or training) subgroups among youth aged 15 to 24 in Italy, 2004–2019. Journal of Public Health, 30, 2221–2229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01484-3
3. ​Analytics Development. (2020). Türkiye'de ne eğitimde ne istihdamda olan gençler (NEET) raporu. Retrieved from https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2025-05/undp-tr-gkgk-report-05302025.pdf
4. ​Arabacı, R. Y. (2020). The socio-demographic structure of young people not in education, employment or training and their connection with the labour market in Turkey. Amme İdaresi Dergisi, 53(3), 103-130.
5. ​Assmann, M. L., & Broschinski, S. (2021). Mapping young NEETs across Europe: Exploring the institutional configurations promoting youth disengagement from education and employment. Journal of Applied Youth Studies, 4(2), 95-117.
6. ​Broschinski , S., & Feldhaus, M. (2025). Family social capital and NEET experiences in the transition from school to work: A longitudinal study from Germany. Young Advance Online Publication, 1-26.
7. ​Brzinsky-Fay, C., & Jongbloed, J. (2022). NEET during the school-to-work transition in the Netherlands. In M. Levels, C. Brzinsky-Fay, C. Holmes, J. Jongbloed, & H. Taki (Eds.), The dynamics of marginalised youth: Not in education, employment, or training around the world (pp. 24–46). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003096658
8. ​Ciccarelli, A., & Fabrizi, E. (2017). Family background and persistence in NEET status. Rivista Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica, 7(1), 29-40.

9. ​Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
10. ​Çakmak, B. Y., & Yiğit, B. (2022). Türkiye’de ne eğitimde ne istihdamda yer almayan genç (NEET) olmak: Sistematik literatür analizi. In A. Özdemir, Çalışma Ekonomisi ve Endüstri İlişkileri Seçme Yazılar VI. Değişim Yayınevi.
11. ​Çizel, R., Aşkun, V., Durmaz, Ş., Yağmur, A., & Gürsoy, S. (2023). Ne eğitimde ne istihdamda (NEET) olma ile ilişkili faktörlerin OECD bağlantılı ülkelerde karşılaştırmalı analizi: Bulanık küme nitel karşılaştırmalı analiz (fsQCA). Sosyoekonomi, 31(57), 434-475.
12. ​Elitaş, Z. (2025). Individual and family-related determinants of NEET probability: An empirical study for Türkiye. Journal of Social Humanities and Administrative Sciences, 8(59), 204-221.
13. ​EUROSTAT. (2021, July 6). Glossary: Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET). Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/
14. ​Goh, K., Contractor, S., & Van Belle, S. (2022). Conceptualising digital participatory research: Body, mind and soul embodied digital engagement in health research. BMJ Global Health, 7(12), e010046.
15. ​Grigorescu, A., Alistar, T. V., & Lincaru, C. (2025). Digital skills, ethics, and integrity-The impact of risky internet use: A multivariate and spatial approach to understanding NEET vulnerability. Systems, 13(8), 649.
16. ​Holmes, C., & Taki, H. (2022). Gender differences in NEET: Comparing transitions and risks. In M. Levels, C. Brzinsky-Fay, C. Holmes, J. Jongbloed, & H. Taki (Eds.), The dynamics of marginalized youth: Not in education, employment, or training around the world (pp. 47-69). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003096658
17. ​Ibourk, A., & Elouaourti, Z. (2024). Youth “Not in Education, Employment or Training” (NEET) in North Africa. Journal of Education and Work, 613-633.
18. ​Işık, V. (2019). Aksaray’da genç NEET sorunu ve yerel düzeyde strateji önerileri. Gençlik Araştırmaları Dergisi, 7(17), 149-170.
19. ​Kang, C., & Youn, M. (2024). Bridging the gender gap in NEET risk: Institutional influences on NEET status in different age groups. SAGE Open, 14(4), 1-15.
20. ​Kardefelt-Winter, D. (2014). A conceptual and methodological critique of internet addiction research: Towards a model of compensatory internet use. Computers in Human Behavior, 31, 351–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.10.059
21. ​Karma, E. (2024). NEET youth in Central and Eastern European countries: A panel model approach. Journal of Youth Studies, 1-18.
22. ​Leino, M., Hintsanen, M., Hintsa, T., Merjonen, P., & Keltikangas-Jarvinen , L. (2013). Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 18(12), 115-126.
23. ​Lüküslü, D., & Çelik, K. (2022). Gendering the NEET category: Young NEET women in Turkey. Turkish Studies, 23(2), 200-222.
24. ​Maguire, S. (2015). NEET, unemployed, inactive or unknown-Why does it matter? Educational Research, 57(2), 121-132.
25. ​Malo, M. A., Mussida, C., Cueto, B., & Baussola, M. (2023). Being a NEET before and after the Great Recession: Persistence by gender in Southern Europe. Socio-Economic Review, 21(1), 319-339.
26. ​Neagu, G., Berigel, M., & Lendzhova, V. (2021). How digital inclusion increases opportunities for young people: Case of NEETs from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. Sustainability, 13(14), 78-94.
27. ​Odoardi, I., D'Ingiullo, D., & Quaglione, D. (2023). Gender disparities between young and adult NEETs: Do we need a more refined policy approach? Applied Economics, 55(56), 6685-6699.
28. ​Odoardi, I., Qaglione , D., D'Ingiullo , D., Furia, D., & Cascioli, P. (2022). The increase in the gender gap with age: An analysis of Italian NEETs. Global&Local Economic Review, 26(2), 99-124.
29. ​OECD. (2024). Youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) [Data set]. OECD Data. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/youth-not-in-employment-education-or-training-neet.html
30. ​O'Higgins, N. (2025, August 12). Measuring what matters: NEET vs youth unemployment. International Labour Organization. Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/resource/article/measuring-what-matters-neet-vs-youth-unemployment
31. ​Özdemir, M. O., Metin Özcan, K., & Üçdoğruk Birecikli, Ş. (2023). Youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) in Turkey: A regional analysis. Ege Academic Review, 23(3), 409-426.
32. ​Rahmani, H., & Groot, W. (2023). Risk factors of being a youth not in education, employment or training (NEET): A scoping review. International Journal of Educational Research, 120, 102198.
33. ​Rahmani, H., Groot, W., & Rahmani, A. M. (2024). Unravelling the NEET phenomenon: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 29(1), 2331576.
34. ​Rodríguez-Modroño, P. (2019). Youth unemployment, NEETs and structural inequality in Spain. International Journal of Manpower, 40(3), 433-448.
35. ​Smoter, A., & Szymczak, A. (2024). NEETs in the digital age: Digital skills and labour market participation in the EU. European Labour Authority (ELA).
36. ​Susanlı, Z. B. (2016). Understanding the NEET in Turkey. Eurasian Journal of Economics and Finance, 4(2), 42-57.
37. ​Şahin , M., & Boduroğlu, G. (2025). NE eğitimde ne istihdamda olan gençlerin yaşam deneyimleri. Gençlik Araştırmaları Dergisi, 13(35), 54-73.
38. ​Şahin, L., Kocakaya, M. E., Demir, İ., Akgül, O., Ak, Y., Polat, K., Bükey, A. M., Toktaş, D., Önal, A., Baş, H., Söylemez, S. Ş., & Akgül, Ö. (2021). Türkiye’de “ne eğitimde, ne istihdamda ne de yetiştirmede” olan gençler profil araştırması. L. Şahin, M. E. Kocakaya, & O. Akgül (Eds.), Türkiye'de eğitim, istihdam ve yetiştirmede olmayan gençler In (ss. 125–249). Istanbul University Press. https://doi.org/10.26650/B/SS46.2021.014
39. ​Şen, H. (2025). Perceptions of NEET youth on unemployment: A phenomenological approach. . Bulletin of Economic Theory and Analysis, 10(3), 1121-1154.
40. ​Taki, H. (2022). NEET in Japan: Focusing on gender and cohort. In M. Levels et al., The dynamics of marginalised youth (Vol. 2022). Routledge.
41. ​Tatar, M., & Öztürk, M. (2024). Türkiye’de NEET gençliği sorunsalına çözüm: NEET izleme merkezlerinin oluşturulması. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 53, 133-152.
42. ​Tolgay, C., & Çakır, Ö. (2022). Ne eğitimde ne istihdamda olan gençlerin genç işsizliğine yönelik algıları üzerine bir araştırma. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 24(4), 1680-1707.
43. ​Wadood, R., Bhattacharya, M., & Stevenson, K. (2019). Youth and digital empowerment: Making a case for exploring empowerment potential through digital engagement. International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews, 6(1), 277-286.
44. ​Zhou, M., Zhang, H., Liu, M., Shi, Y., & Li, X. (2020). Compensatory social networking site use, family support, and depression among college freshmen: Three-wave panel study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), e22213. https://doi.org/10.2196/18458
45. ​Zuccotti, C. V., & O'Reilly, J. (2019). Ethnicity, gender and household effects on becoming NEET: An intersectional analysis. Work, Employment and Society, 33(3), 351-373.