Experts state that while there are young people worldwide who are pushed into loneliness or isolate themselves from their surroundings, there are also those who consciously choose to live alone or with their surroundings, emphasizing that it is more appropriate to focus on the importance of young people forming deep and holistic social relationships.
Sociologist Dr. Berat Dağ, explaining that in the last fifty years, societies have witnessed various forms of friendship in terms of both definition and practice, said, “The excessively individualistic structures and interaction forms emerging today have become a serious risk for societies. Indeed, in this new process, it is quite remarkable that friendship relations have begun to be shaped within the framework of self-interest.”
Research Assistant Dr. Berat Dağ from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Üsküdar University, evaluated contemporary friendship relations.
On the one hand, the tradition of camaraderie continues
Dr. Berat Dağ stated that friendship relations built by societies have continuous and changing characteristics according to historical and geographical differences. He said, “In this context, it can be argued that the increasing establishment of social relations around money, status, and political power affects the understanding of friendship. Nevertheless, it is still possible today to find examples of friendships based on tested solidarity unique to Eastern societies. Therefore, it can be argued that while societies maintain the tradition of camaraderie in their existing friendship relations, they also experience changes shaped by self-interest.”
Technological change has diversified friendship relations
Dr. Berat Dağ explained that digitalization and social media are in a mutual interaction with friendship relations and continued: “In this framework, the transformation in friendship relations can be considered as one of the factors determining the nature of technology. However, changes in technology are also simultaneously an effective process in diversifying friendship relations. In this context, as long as friendship relations are built on individualism, technology will also be shaped by this construction. Similarly, it is highly probable that individuals interacting with technology focused on individualism will regulate their own friendship relations according to this interaction. On the other hand, it is always possible to base this mutual interaction on egalitarian, libertarian, and solidarity-based values, both in terms of digitalization and social media, and friendship relations.”
Friendship relations have become superficial today
Addressing whether there is a difference between the ways Generation Z forms friendships and the understanding of friendship among Generation X or Baby Boomer generations, Dr. Berat Dağ said, “Actually, the concept of generation contains quite vague meanings. Because it is quite difficult to define a generation with clear lines based on the economic, political, and mental differences of individuals, communities, and societies. Therefore, taking into account the continuity and changes exhibited by societies in their geographical and historical context, concretizing the similar and different aspects of friendship relations would be a more meaningful approach. As a result of such concretization, it can be seen that past and present friendship relations form a complex social structure intertwined with each other. In other words, there is a tendency observed today that friendship relations are becoming increasingly baseless and superficial. However, despite this, it is also possible to realize that deep and holistic forms of friendship still exist in societies.”
How has the individual transformed in the last fifty years?
Dr. Berat Dağ stated that friendship relations have always presented both long-lasting and short-term examples in every time and place. He added, “Especially in the last fifty years, it is clear that the individual, society, and the state interact with each other on a slippery, volatile, virtual, and fragmented plane. At this point, it should be noted that individual feelings, thoughts, and forms of action are constructed within the context of extreme subjectivization and objectivization, along with economic, political, and mental institutions. Indeed, in recent times, a mass has emerged in the world that tries to gain existence by pursuing constantly changing and differentiating pleasures, but cannot perceive the society it is in. In spaces and times where everyone transforms into each other by considering only their own interests, it has become extremely difficult to produce genuine and balanced structures and interactions.”
There are also those who consciously choose loneliness
Dr. Berat Dağ stated that while there are young people worldwide who are pushed into loneliness or isolate themselves from their surroundings, there are also those who consciously choose to live alone or with their surroundings. He said, “Therefore, within this diversity, it would be more appropriate to emphasize the importance of young people establishing deep and holistic social relationships. Because when acting in line with this importance, whether they prefer loneliness or living with their surroundings, the attitude of young people will not constitute a fundamental difference. The real determinant is the choices young people will make by aiming to be social beings. This approach can prevent a crowd of completely disconnected individuals from dominating worldwide in the future.”
There have been various forms of friendship in the last fifty years
Dr. Berat Dağ, explaining that in the last fifty years, societies have witnessed various forms of friendship in terms of both definition and practice, concluded his words as follows: “In this context, it is still possible today to find examples of solid friendships gaining value based on effort and trust in every age group, gender, profession, and social class. On the other hand, the excessively individualistic structures and interaction forms emerging in the same period have become a serious risk for societies. Indeed, in this new process, it is quite remarkable that friendship relations have begun to be shaped within the framework of self-interest. Therefore, it is of great importance for each society to discuss the possibilities of a sociality that preserves individuality in line with its own unique characteristics.”