Sociologist Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı stated that the “Are You Dead? / Are You Dead Yet” applications, which have recently spread rapidly on digital platforms, are based on users digitally confirming “that they are alive” at regular intervals. He pointed out that while these types of applications appear at first glance as functional tools aimed at individual safety, the real issue is much deeper.
Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı said that these applications, which at first glance appear to be functional tools aimed at individual safety, point to one of the most fragile issues of contemporary societies when examined more closely: “This is the institutionalization of loneliness and its transformation into a manageable social phenomenon through digital technologies.” Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı noted that in modern societies, the sense of trust is increasingly nourished not by face-to-face relationships, but by digital signals and verification mechanisms. He added, “Are You Dead Yet aims not to eliminate loneliness, but to make it manageable. In this respect, the application is not a solution to loneliness, but a technology for coping with it.”
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Department of Sociology evaluated the “Are You Dead?” / “Are You Dead Yet” applications, which have recently spread rapidly on digital platforms, from a sociological perspective.
Loneliness has become institutionalized
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı stated that the “Are You Dead? / Are You Dead Yet” applications, which have recently spread rapidly on digital platforms, are based on users digitally confirming “that they are alive” at regular intervals. He reminded that if this confirmation is interrupted, automatic alerts are sent to predefined individuals or networks.
Stating that these types of applications appear at first glance as functional tools aimed at individual safety, Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı drew attention to the fact that the real issue is much deeper, and said:
“These applications, which at first glance appear to be functional tools aimed at individual safety, point to one of the most fragile issues of contemporary societies when examined more closely; the institutionalization of loneliness and its transformation into a manageable social phenomenon through digital technologies.”
This situation constitutes a social alarm!
Emphasizing that this situation cannot be evaluated as a simple technological convenience, Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı continued his words as follows:
“This situation, rather than being a technological convenience, constitutes a social alarm indicating that an individual’s existence is no longer spontaneously noticed; and that social relationships are increasingly losing the power to fulfill this function.”
Underlining the fundamental truth implied by the applications, Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı, “Because these applications imply this: social relationships are not strong enough to spontaneously notice an individual’s existence.” said.
Applications brought the phenomenon of living alone to the center of sociological discussions
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı stated that the emergence of digital verification applications such as Are You Dead? / Are You Dead Yet has brought the phenomenon of living alone back to the center of sociological discussions, and noted that the discussion of this concept in academic literature is fed not by romanticized individual choices, but by deep and traumatic experiences of social breakdown.
At this point, Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı pointed to the work of sociologist Eric Klinenberg, saying, “In his work ‘Going Solo,’ Eric Klinenberg bases his conceptualization of ‘solo living’ directly on the field research he conducted after the 1995 Chicago heatwave. The fact that elderly individuals living alone, in particular, died in their homes unnoticed for days during this disaster clearly demonstrated that solo living is not merely a lifestyle; it is a structural area of vulnerability that can produce fatal consequences.”
Algorithmic reflex replaces social reflex
Underlining that solo living is a complex social form reflecting inequalities deepening across age, class, social capital, and vulnerability in modern societies, Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı stated that digital verification applications emerged precisely on this fragile ground.
Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı stated that applications like Are You Dead? transform the risk of “delayed notice” into a digital protocol in a world where traditional social networks have largely lost their function, and said, “If an individual does not report that they are alive, the system perceives this as an exception and activates the intervention mechanism. Thus, the algorithmic reflex replaces the social reflex.”
It is no coincidence that digital verification applications became viral in a short time
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı stated that it is no coincidence that digital verification applications such as Are You Dead Yet became viral in a short time, adding that this situation reveals that the modern individual experiences a deep ontological insecurity.
Emphasizing that today’s people feel insecure not only physically but also on an existential level, Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı said, “It is no coincidence that such applications quickly went viral. Today’s individual is insecure not only physically but also ontologically; that is, they want to be sure of their existence, of being noticed, and of being in a meaningful connection with another person.”
Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı noted that in modern societies, the sense of trust is increasingly nourished not by face-to-face relationships, but by digital signals and verification mechanisms. He added, “Are You Dead Yet aims not to eliminate loneliness, but to make it manageable. In this respect, the application is not a solution to loneliness, but a technology for coping with it.”
Loneliness is no longer hidden, it is being tried to be managed!
Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı also drew attention to similar examples in the world, saying, “Similar examples can be seen in sensor-equipped home systems for lonely elderly people in Japan, digital care applications focusing on single-person households in South Korea, and emergency verification software in the USA. Especially in Japan, during the long lockdowns of the pandemic period, the increase in suicide cases among elderly individuals living alone in their homes led to loneliness being treated as a public crisis; this process resulted in the establishment of a Ministry of Loneliness. Similarly, in the UK, a ‘Ministry of Loneliness’ was established due to the effects of loneliness on public health, and loneliness is no longer an individual problem but a structural issue addressed at the level of state policy. The common point of these examples is clear: digital monitoring and verification mechanisms are replacing social ties. Loneliness is no longer hidden; it is transforming into a social phenomenon that is measured, monitored, and included in the realm of governance.”
The issue of loneliness has gained a new dimension in Turkey as well
Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı explained that the issue of loneliness in Turkey has gained a new dimension with accelerating urbanization, the dissolution of the nuclear family, and the widespread use of digital communication practices, stating, “Within this framework, Üsküdar Üniversitesi produces significant academic knowledge in this field through international symposiums and national-scale research that address loneliness in the context of different social groups and societal categories each year. Recent research on youth and loneliness and old age and loneliness reveals that loneliness is experienced in different ways across generations; however, in both groups, it is commonly associated with a lack of visibility, belonging, and social support.”
In this context, Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı noted that digital applications should be evaluated as both a result and a symptom of the phenomenon of loneliness, stating, “Tools like Are You Dead? are temporary defense mechanisms produced by social dissolution at the individual level. This intersection between academic knowledge and digital practice shows that loneliness is no longer merely a theoretical discussion; it has become an area of daily life that is directly regulated. Are You Dead? / Are You Dead Yet is much more than a simple mobile application. Such tools make visible the social fragility of our age, shaped by the axis of loneliness–security–proof of existence. The fundamental question implied by the application is clear: In a society where people are forced to regularly confirm that they are alive, which social ties have weakened?”
Young people confide in AI-based digital tools
Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı also noted that in the digital age, loneliness is no longer merely a felt emotion; it has transformed into a social phenomenon that is monitored, measured, and managed. He added, “Especially among young people, with the decreasing number of people they confide in face-to-face and trust, practices of confiding and sharing with AI-based digital tools such as ChatGPT are becoming increasingly widespread. This trend shows that human relationships are becoming increasingly superficial, while individuals’ need for continuously accessible and ‘safe’ spaces where they can be listened to without judgment is increasing. The findings of the ‘Youth, Digitalization, and Loneliness’ research conducted by Üsküdar Üniversitesi reveal that despite being in intense digital interaction, young people struggle to establish deep, sustainable, and trust-based social connections. Technology does not eliminate loneliness; it only offers ways to cope with it. Lasting trust, belonging, and human contact lie not in algorithmic systems, but in rebuilt face-to-face relationships and collective solidarity practices.”