Çevresel Değerlerin Dijital Temsilleri: Van Gölü’ne İlişkin Google Haritalar Yorumlarının Metin Madenciliği Analizi

Öz

Bu çalışma, çevresel değerlerin dijital kamusal alandaki temsillerini Google Haritalar kullanıcı yorumları üzerinden incelemektedir. Van Gölü örneğine odaklanan araştırma, çevrimiçi kullanıcı anlatılarının estetik hayranlık, çevresel farkındalık ve kolektif sorumluluk söylemlerini nasıl eş zamanlı olarak ürettiğini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Çalışma, çevrimiçi yorumları yalnızca turistik memnuniyet göstergeleri olarak ele almak yerine, dijital ortamda biçimlenen çevresel algı ve kamusal söylemlerin bir yansıması olarak kavramsallaştırmaktadır. Araştırmanın veri seti, Van Gölü ve çevresine ilişkin 1.171 adet kamuya açık Google Haritalar yorumundan oluşmaktadır. Analizde karma yöntem yaklaşımı benimsenmiş; BERT tabanlı duygu analizi ile BERTopic konu modelleme teknikleri birlikte kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, doğal güzellik ve huzur temalarında olumlu duyguların baskın olduğunu; buna karşın çevre kirliliği, temizlik ve altyapı sorunlarıyla ilişkili temalarda güçlü bir olumsuz duygu yoğunlaşması bulunduğunu göstermektedir. Bu durum, dijital anlatılarda estetik hayranlık ile çevresel eleştiri arasında belirgin bir gerilime işaret etmektedir. Elde edilen bulgular, dijital platformların yalnızca tüketim odaklı değerlendirme alanları olmadığını, aynı zamanda çevresel bilinç ve koruma taleplerinin dile getirildiği kamusal alanlar olarak işlev gördüğünü ortaya koymaktadır. Bu yönüyle çalışma, çevre sosyolojisi, dijital sosyoloji ve turizm politikaları literatürüne katkı sunmakta; kullanıcı tarafından üretilen içeriklerin sürdürülebilir çevre yönetimi açısından önemli bir veri kaynağı olduğunu göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Çevresel Değerler
• Dijital Kamusal Alan
• Kullanıcı Tarafından Üretilen İçerik
• Duygu Analizi
• Konu Modelleme
• Van Gölü

Digital Representations of Environmental Values: A Text Mining Analysis of Google Maps Reviews on Lake Van

Öz

This study examines how environmental values are represented in digital public space through an analysis of user-generated content on Google Maps. Focusing on Lake Van as a case study, the research explores how online reviews simultaneously reflect aesthetic appreciation, environmental concern, and collective responsibility toward a natural heritage site. Rather than treating online reviews solely as indicators of tourist satisfaction, the study conceptualizes them as expressions of digitally mediated environmental perceptions and public discourse. The dataset consists of 1,171 publicly available Google Maps reviews related to Lake Van and its surrounding areas. A mixed-method approach was adopted, combining BERT-based sentiment analysis with BERTopic topic modeling to identify dominant themes and associated emotional patterns. The findings reveal that while positive sentiment predominates, particularly in themes related to natural beauty and tranquility, strong negative sentiment is concentrated around issues of environmental pollution, cleanliness, and infrastructure. This pattern highlights a clear tension between aesthetic admiration and environmental critique within digital narratives. The results suggest that digital platforms function not only as spaces for consumption-oriented evaluation but also as arenas where environmental awareness and demands for protection are articulated. By integrating computational text analysis with interpretive social analysis, the study contributes to environmental sociology and digital sociology, demonstrating the potential of user-generated content as a valuable data source for understanding collective environmental values and informing sustainable governance practices.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Environmental Values
• Digital Public Space
• User-Generated Content
• Sentiment Analysis
• Topic Modeling
• Lake Van

Kaynakça

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