Bağlantı Ararken Karşılaştırma Bulmak: Sosyal Karşılaştırma, Yalnızlık ve Sosyal Medya Kullanımı Arasındaki İlişki

Öz

Sosyal karşılaştırma ile algılanan yalnızlık arasındaki ilişki literatürde sıklıkla ele alınmış olsa da bu ilişkinin sosyal medya kullanım türlerine göre nasıl değiştiğine dair bulgular sadece batı merkezli kültürlerden gelmektedir. Literatürde yer alan bu araştırma boşluğuna karşılık gelecek şekilde, bu çalışmanın temel amacı, sosyal medyada içerik oluşturma, paylaşma, tüketme ve iletişim kurma gibi kullanım türlerinin sosyal karşılaştırma ile yalnızlık arasındaki ilişkide düzenleyici rolünü incelemektir. Araştırmanın verileri Türkiye’nin 25 ilinden toplamda 525 katılımcıdan toplanmıştır. Elde edilen bulgulara göre, yukarı yönlü sosyal karşılaştırma ile algılanan yalnızlık arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmaktadır. Bununla birlikte, sosyal medyada içerik oluşturma ve paylaşma gibi kullanım türleri sosyal karşılaştırma ile yalnızlık arasındaki ilişkiyi zayıflatırken sosyal medya içeriklerini salt olarak tüketmenin ise sosyal karşılaştırma ve yalnızlık arasındaki bağlantıyı güçlendirdiği elde edilmiştir. Araştırmanın sonuçları, sosyal medyanın aktif kullanılması ve anlamlı sosyal etkileşimleri desteklemesi durumunda kullanıcıların algılanan yalnızlık düzeylerini azaltabileceğini göstermektedir. Elde edilen bulgular ilgili literatür çerçevesinde tartışılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• sosyal karşılaştırma
• yalnızlık
• sosyal meyda kullanımı
• dijital refah

Seeking Connection but Finding Comparison: The Relationship Between Social Comparison, Loneliness, and Social Media Use

Öz

While the link between social comparison and loneliness is well-documented, the influence of different social media behaviors on this relationship remains underexplored, particularly in non-Western contexts. This study examines how creating, sharing, consuming, and communicating on social media moderate the relationship between social comparison and loneliness. Data were collected from 525 individuals across 25 provinces in Türkiye and analyzed using moderation analyses. Results indicated that upward social comparison was positively related to loneliness. However, active behaviors, such as content creation and sharing, were found to weaken this link. Conversely, passive behaviors, such as scrolling and browsing, were observed to strengthen the association and correspond with higher levels of loneliness. These findings suggest that fostering active and meaningful social media engagement can reduce loneliness.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• social comparison
• loneliness
• social media use

Kaynakça

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