Social media has turned into a psychological battlefield

We talked with Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan about the increasingly widespread social media bullying, character assassinations, digital lynching culture, and the psychological reflections of social media on society in recent times.

We talked with Turkey's most famous Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan about cyberbullying and the culture of lynching, which have entered our lives with digital media and turned many people's lives into nightmares. Prof. Tarhan noted that the culture of lynching is becoming increasingly widespread on social media and that if this situation is not prevented, it will cause very serious social destruction. Tarhan emphasized that media literacy is very important, and that lynchings initiated by people lacking empathy on social media have caused many lives to be darkened.

A digital lynching culture has started to become widespread in Turkey, especially recently. How do you interpret this situation?

Social media is an area where mistakes are never forgiven. We always say that if you administer medicine intravenously that should be given orally, the patient dies. The medicine may be correct for the person, but the method is wrong. Therefore, those using social media may say the right things, but they must also decide on the correctness of the method. This way, they will be more cautious about the culture of lynching. They should pay attention not only to what they say but also to how they say it. They can also seek social media consultancy.

“Digital Bullying”

Does this lynching in digital platforms have an equivalent in your field of science? More precisely, how is it evaluated?

The culture of lynching is evaluated in the field of cyberbullying in psychiatry. The number of young people who commit suicide as a result of cyberbullying is very high. Social media amplifies traumas for these people by creating a wide area of influence. Post-traumatic stress disorder is very common in people exposed to lynching.

“A Method of Warfare”

What do you think could be the reason for people being so angry and unforgiving of mistakes on social media?

Some people use social media as a method of psychological warfare. Along with this, social media and the culture of lynching are globalizing the 'bad world' syndrome.

What are the factors that trigger digital lynching? Why do people resort to such behavior?

Humans are beings who enjoy criticizing. Egocentric, high-ego, and narcissistic people feel good by criticizing others. They say, 'If I don't have it, neither should they.' It's like jealousy. They find a mistake of theirs and criticize it. Then, they feel a sense of relief, as if they've scored a goal, saying, 'Look, the man/woman you glorified was like this.' Here, they don't question whether they are right or wrong. Some people feed on criticism, while others feed on anger for ego gratification. An angry person harms themselves the most. Angry individuals feel relaxed and discharged while lynching, but this is a false relief. This situation damages human relationships, leading to isolation. Thus, with the inability to form a social culture, the culture of lynching is also spreading seriously.

“Trust is being destroyed”

What are the harms of uncontrolled social media use to the human soul and psyche?

Social media damages a person's feelings of trust and self-confidence. If a person says 'life is not safe,' they carry the feeling of living in a threatening environment. Even their home ceases to be a safe space. If their life partner or family, with whom they embarked on life, cannot console them, a suicidal situation arises. Social media amplifies traumas for these people by creating a wide area of influence. Post-traumatic stress disorder is very common in people exposed to lynching.

Why have social media platforms started to be used as a lynching arena?

We can say that individuals exposed to lynching culture or those who perpetrate lynchings experience the concept of 'social media aggression.' Some people do these things to satisfy their anger, while others do them because they enjoy doing evil.

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