21st-century digitalization is one of the most significant social transformations of the century. Youth, in particular, are spending time on social media platforms to socialize in conjunction with the intensive use of technological tools in the process of identity construction in the digital medium. However, this intensive use of social media brings with it the risk of addiction. From a sociological perspective, identity, belonging, and transformation in the context of social relations are experienced psychologically as issues such as anxiety, loneliness, and depression. At this point, the guidance of counseling services to young people in accordance with the needs of the digital age has become critical.
1. Digitization And Youth Culture
Digitization has irreversibly transformed youth culture. Digital platforms allow young people to express themselves, socialize, and use them as laboratories to produce culture. This process provides creativity, participation, and opportunities unique to them, while also raising serious challenges such as psychosocial pressures, ethical dilemmas, and privacy issues.
An in-depth understanding of the relationship between digitization and youth culture is critical not only for young people themselves but also for educational institutions, families, and policymakers. Future research should focus on how to enhance the critical thinking skills and digital competence of young people in the cultural field for a healthy life and how these can support them.
2. Sociological Dimensions Of Social Media Addiction
Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, etc.) have introduced a new pattern called Social Media Addiction (SMA) with their integration into the daily lives of individuals. Beyond being considered a psychiatric or clinical psychological problem, the roots and results of SMA lie in the structural, interactional, and cultural dynamics of modern society.
Some sociological ideas related to this issue include:
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Durkheim’s “Anomie” Concept:
Unlimited freedom in social media can cause young people to experience normlessness and loss of direction. -
Goffman’s Role Theory:
Teenagers perform different roles in online environments, presenting different “selves” on various stages, which can lead to identity confusion. -
Bourdieu’s Capital Theory:
The number of followers, likes, and comments gains importance as a new form of social capital in digital environments.
3. Psychological Effects Of Social Media Addiction
Social media addiction has a complex and multidimensional impact on an individual’s mental health. This effect reveals the mechanisms and main issues as follows:
a. Self-Perception And Social Comparison
One of the most devastating mechanisms of social media is the destruction of an individual’s self-perception. Platforms are filled with filtered, idealized, and positively framed “perfect self” presentations.
b. Loneliness, Social Isolation And Mood Disorders
SMA creates a paradoxical effect: while the individual constantly feels “connected,” they are actually becoming increasingly lonely. The weakening of real social ties makes it difficult to develop a sense of belonging to a real community. As a result, emotional support mechanisms become dysfunctional, leading to loneliness and feelings of isolation.
c. Depression And Anxiety
Research shows that there is a significant relationship between social media addiction and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Continuous comparison, risk of cyberbullying, and FOMO (fear of missing out) keep an individual under constant stress and anxiety.
d. Distraction And Cognitive Impairments
The rapid, discontinuous, and notification-based structure of social media negatively affects cognitive processes. Platforms are programmed to constantly divide attention with instant notifications. This weakens the brain’s ability for focus and deep thinking.
Especially for students, resisting incoming stimuli during study or cognitive tasks becomes more difficult. Intensive social media use shortens study times, prevents memory consolidation, and significantly reduces academic performance.
4. Psychosocial Guidance You Need
Psychosocial counseling for social media addiction must focus on the individual, their social environment, habits, and digital needs. The following areas highlight these needs:
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a. Awareness Of Social Media Usage Time:
Determining the exact amount of time spent on social media and eliminating distortions. -
b. Developing A Healthy Self-Perception:
Reducing the tendency to make constant social comparisons and recovering self-esteem from being dependent on external approval. -
c. Emotional Regulation Skills:
Supporting emotional well-being through alternative coping mechanisms instead of using the phone for negative emotions such as boredom, frustration, or sadness. -
d. Limit Setting And Time Management:
Setting concrete and applicable time limits for social media use through behavioral strategies or digital tools. -
e. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) Management:
Learning to cope with anxiety about constantly staying connected and understanding that being offline does not mean social exclusion. -
f. Creating Alternative Behavioral Repertoires:
Engaging in real-life hobbies and productive activities (sports, art, reading, nature) that provide satisfaction and joy. -
g. Environmental And Parental Guidance:
Parents should not prohibit or deny their children but act as models, guides, and therapeutic supporters for healthy digital habits. -
h. Professional Support:
When addiction significantly disrupts daily functionality, referring to expert support (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy) and educating families on their role in the process.
5. New Approaches In Guidance
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School Counseling:
Develop student programs to balance the use of technology. -
Psychosocial Support Groups:
Group work based on sharing social media experiences. -
Online Guidance Applications:
Moving counseling services into online environments in accordance with the spirit of the digital age. -
Social Solidarity And Social Capital:
Helping youth build social capital offline by increasing their participation in community activities.
Results
Digitization has brought new problems rooted in youth culture and transformed it in profound ways.
Social media addiction is not just a psychological problem of the individual — it is also a social issue.
Therefore, young people must be supported through both sociological and psychological dimensions.
Psychosocial counseling services teach teenagers how to set healthy boundaries in the digital world while reinforcing their social identities.
Bibliographies
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Bauman, Z. (2018). Akışkan Modernite. İstanbul: Ayrıntı Yayınları.
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Bourdieu, P. (1986). The Forms of Capital. Cambridge University Press.
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Durkheim, E. (2012). İntihar. Ankara: Dost Kitabevi.
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Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Anchor Books.