Founding Rector of Üsküdar University, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “We are lonely because we have lost the feeling of friendship. We need to synthesize the wisdom of Anatolia, Eastern wisdom with Western scientific knowledge. This problem can only be solved this way,” he said.
Rector of Üsküdar University, Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör: “We are experiencing a strange sense of isolation and detachment. Even worse, we have started to take pleasure in loneliness.”
Sociologist Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı: “Here, we aim to strengthen an understanding that treats loneliness not as a fate to be accepted, but as a transformable social issue.”
The “7th International Loneliness Symposium,” organized this year by Üsküdar University with the theme “Youth and Loneliness,” was held at the Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall on the Central Campus.
The opening speeches of the symposium were delivered by Üsküdar University Founding Rector and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör, and Symposium Organizing Committee Chairman Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı.
Loneliness: The Great Danger Awaiting Humanity in the Future!
Üsküdar University Founding Rector and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the main reason for bringing up the issue of loneliness was their realization of a great danger awaiting humanity in the future, saying, “We are holding the seventh Loneliness Symposium. As a psychiatrist, we felt the need to bring up why loneliness is so important, especially because we saw the danger awaiting us in the future.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan drew attention to the concept of “California Syndrome,” which is increasingly discussed in literature today, stating, “This syndrome has four main symptoms. The first symptom of California Syndrome is hedonism; that is, a pleasure-oriented philosophy of life. In fact, Aristotle said this 2500 years ago. There are two types of happiness: one is hedonic happiness, meaning pleasure happiness; the other is eudaimonic happiness, meaning meaning happiness.”
“Humans can only be truly happy when they pursue meaning”
Stating that the neurobiological correlates of pleasure and meaning happiness have also been revealed, Prof. Dr. Tarhan emphasized that modern life has neglected meaning happiness and said, “Pleasure happiness is associated with dopamine in the brain; it is short-term and temporary. Meaning happiness, on the other hand, is related to serotonin; it is released more slowly but is more permanent. The capitalist system has preferred hedonic happiness and neglected meaning happiness. Yet, humans can only be truly happy when they pursue meaning.”
Referring to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Prof. Dr. Tarhan drew attention to an important point that had long been overlooked in psychology, stating, “Maslow, shortly before his death, placed ‘self-transcendence,’ not ‘self-actualization,’ at the top of the hierarchy of needs. At the pinnacle of self-transcendence were helping others and spiritual needs. This fact was revealed in 2017.”
“A selfish person experiences a deep sense of loneliness in old age or times of difficulty”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that the second symptom of California Syndrome is egoism and narcissism, adding that narcissism is rapidly spreading, especially among young people.
“Books titled ‘Narcissism Epidemic’ have been published in the USA. Narcissism is egoism becoming a personality trait. A selfish person is fine when they are strong and healthy; however, they experience a deep sense of loneliness in times of illness, old age, or difficulty,” said Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, emphasizing that this process inevitably brings loneliness and depression.
Depression is increasing globally worldwide
Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “The third symptom of California Syndrome is loneliness, and the fourth symptom is unhappiness and depression. Today, it is being investigated whether there is a virus causing the global increase in depression worldwide. In fact, the virus here is the hedonism virus.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that the way to cope with loneliness is through a meaning-oriented life, explaining that one can transform loneliness into an opportunity for self-change and maturation.
Young people are lonelier than the elderly
Referring to the relationship between youth and loneliness, Prof. Dr. Tarhan shared the striking results of a comprehensive study conducted in the UK, saying, “In a study by the University of Manchester and the BBC with 55,000 people, 40% of young people aged 16-24 say ‘I am very lonely.’ This rate is 27% among those over 75. This means young people are lonelier than the elderly.”
Emphasizing that loneliness now affects state policies, Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated, “The UK established a Ministry of Loneliness in 2018, and Japan in 2021. The United Nations identifies three major dangers awaiting the future: income inequality, climate change, and loneliness.”
The cause of loneliness in young people is digital loneliness!
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also stated that one of the most important causes of loneliness in young people is digital loneliness, saying, “In the digital world, there are many relationships but no depth. There is social sharing but no emotional sharing. Social media is not actually social; it is virtual media. Where there is no emotional transfer, there is loneliness.”
At the end of his speech, Prof. Dr. Tarhan emphasized that deep and meaningful relationships lie at the foundation of a healthy and happy life, referring to Harvard University’s 75-year study: “Those who live the longest, happiest, and healthiest lives are not the rich, famous, or successful, but those who have deep and meaningful relationships.”
Highlighting the concept of “dost” (friend) in Turkish culture, Prof. Dr. Tarhan concluded his words by saying, “A friend is someone a person can talk to when they feel lonely. It is someone with whom one can establish a safe relationship, someone who is by their side in difficult times. We are lonely because we have lost the feeling of friendship. We need to synthesize the wisdom of Anatolia, Eastern wisdom with Western scientific knowledge. This problem can only be solved this way.”
Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör: “Loneliness has become a problem embedded in daily life”
Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör began her speech by greeting the symposium participants, saying, “This is an important symposium, on a very important topic. It is extremely serious; we are facing one of the fundamental problems of our era.”
Emphasizing that loneliness has now become a natural part of daily life, Prof. Dr. Güngör evaluated the isolation of individuals not merely as a theoretical matter but as a lived and felt reality, stating, “Today, we express that individuals are becoming isolated not only in academic texts but also in our daily conversations. Because we see it, feel it, and live it. Loneliness has become a problem embedded in daily life.”
“Family relationships weakened with technology”
Referring to the historical roots of isolation, Prof. Dr. Güngör pointed out that the transformations in family structure with the modernization process accelerated this phenomenon. Prof. Dr. Güngör said, “In fact, we can say that with modernization, individuals began to become isolated. One of the most important reasons for this is the transition from extended, traditional families to nuclear families. Of course, nuclear families had positive aspects for modern life; they became a necessity for industrialized cities. However, this transformation also brought about a generational disconnect.”
Stating that this fragmentation in family structure gradually transformed into deeper isolation, Prof. Dr. Güngör said, “Family relationships weakened with technology. Even in nuclear families, technology intervened between parents and children. With this intermediary, family members gradually began to disconnect from each other. Initially, this situation gave a sense of autonomy and freedom; it was even enjoyed for a while. However, over time, we began to see that family members no longer communicated with each other even within the same home, or if they did, they now did so through a device.”
“We started to take pleasure in loneliness”
Prof. Dr. Güngör said that the relationship individuals establish with the virtual world today has replaced real social relationships, stating, “Each of us now connects with the virtual world offered by the mobile phones in our hands. We go to a cafe to chat, we sit at the same table, but a few minutes later, we are all outside that cafe. We are at the same table, but each of us is in a different world.”
Emphasizing that the most dangerous aspect of this process is the beginning of taking pleasure in loneliness, Prof. Dr. Güngör said, “We are experiencing a strange sense of isolation and detachment. Even worse, we have started to take pleasure in loneliness. Individuals beginning not to need each other is a very great danger. Yet, the being we call human is a social being. Today, we have begun to deeply experience the contradictions of this state of being a social being.”
Stating that modern and postmodern processes have fragmented the individual and the family, Prof. Dr. Güngör expressed that humans now lead a fragmented life in both the real and virtual worlds, saying, “On one hand, we live in concrete reality, and on the other hand, we exist in virtual reality. This makes us fragmented. This situation, which initially seems enjoyable, eventually brings about a much more serious process where individuals confront their own contradictions.”
“We entered a process of reification with machines”
Prof. Dr. Güngör, stating that technology has made humans dependent on machines, explained this process with the concept of “reification” and said, “As we distanced ourselves from each other, we began to integrate with machines. We became articulated with machines. Moving away from being human, from being an individual, we entered a process of reification with machines. This is an extremely worrying situation.”
Emphasizing that emotions and mental processes are also affected by this transformation, Prof. Dr. Güngör concluded her words by saying, “Our emotions soften, and we even begin to cleanse ourselves of our emotions in a negative sense. We surrender our minds to artificial intelligence, our emotions to the virtual realm. As a result, we find ourselves right in the middle of a very strange process where isolation and alienation are intertwined.”
Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı: “Our youth sometimes feel unheard and lonely”
Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı, Chairman of the Symposium Organizing Committee and Faculty Member of the Sociology Department at Üsküdar University, participated online from Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, drawing attention to the increasingly deepening loneliness experiences of young people in the digital age.
Emphasizing that the main theme of this year's symposium was specifically youth, Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı pointed out that digitalization has transformed young people's social relationships, stating, “Despite all the communication opportunities offered by the digital age, our young people, who are constantly interacting via social media, sometimes feel unheard and lonely. This picture clearly shows that the loneliness experienced by young people is closely related to their social conditions rather than individual preferences.”
Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı stated that numerous topics shaping young people's loneliness experiences would be addressed during the symposium: “From migrant youth to university youth, from the digital generation to social media phenomena, from the unique loneliness experiences of autistic youth to the phenomenon of loneliness experienced by young people studying abroad, we will examine many topics from a comparative perspective. These groups are among the social segments that most intensely experience the new and different manifestations of loneliness today.”
‘Youth, Digitalization, and Loneliness’ Research
Süleymanlı stated that, as every year, a comprehensive field research would be shared within the scope of the symposium, saying, “Within the scope of our symposium, in collaboration with Method Research Company, we will also evaluate the findings of the comprehensive field research titled ‘Youth, Digitalization, and Loneliness’ that we conducted across Turkey.
Emphasizing that the symposium aims not only to identify problems but also to produce solutions, Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı stated, “Here, we aim to strengthen an understanding that treats loneliness not as a fate to be accepted, but as a transformable social issue. We attach importance to creating an academic platform that not only defines problems but also produces solutions.”
Underlining that loneliness is a universal issue, Prof. Dr. Süleymanlı said, “This year, the symposium has achieved broad international representation with in-person and online participation from six countries: Azerbaijan, Finland, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan. This picture once again demonstrates that loneliness is a universal problem that transcends borders.”
The loneliness journey of young people in a digitalizing world was discussed
In the first session, moderated by Asst. Prof. Dr. Nihan Kalkandeler Özdin, presentations were given by Prof. Dr. Metin Kılıç from Düzce University on “Modernizing Family and Digitalizing Youth,” Annakatriina Jylhä and Tommi Korhonen from the Finnish Red Cross on “Preventing Loneliness Through Volunteering,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Akbağ from Marmara University on “Relational Needs in Youth,” and with online participation, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Koç on “The Loneliness Struggle of Emotionally-Living Youth.”
Results of Youth Loneliness Research in Turkey Announced
In one of the most remarkable parts of the symposium, “Youth, Loneliness, and Digitalization in Turkey: Current Research Findings,” prepared by Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı, Asst. Prof. Dr. Nihan Kalkandeler Özdin, and Hale Aslı Kılıç from Method Research Company, was shared with the public for the first time.
In the second session before noon, a wide range of “Youth and Social Loneliness Experiences” will be discussed, from NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth to migrant youth, from individuals with autism to international students. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cihan Ertan, Dr. Gökhan Özcan, Expert Clinical Psychologist Buse Duran Birlik, Serden Ferhatoğlu Anıl (Switzerland), Nuriye Novruzova (Speech Therapist), and Sümeyra Yaman (Child Development Specialist) evaluated the psychopathological and sociological dimensions of loneliness in youth.
The afternoon session of the symposium continued online. In this section, moderated by Prof. Dr. Ebulfez Süleymanlı, scientists from Russia (RUDN University), Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan made presentations on youth loneliness, cyber policies, and social media regulations in their respective countries.