Loneliness is becoming institutionalized

Sociologist Prof. Ebulfez Süleymanlı from Üsküdar University evaluated the recently widespread digital applications known as “Are You Dead?” and “Are You Dead Yet” from a sociological perspective. He explained that these applications are based on users digitally confirming at regular intervals that they are still alive, and that if this confirmation is interrupted, automatic alerts are sent to pre-designated individuals or networks. Although such applications may initially appear to be functional tools aimed at enhancing individual safety, Prof. Süleymanlı emphasized that the underlying issue is far more profound.

“At first glance, these applications seem to be practical tools designed to ensure personal safety. However, when examined more closely, they point to one of the most fragile issues of contemporary societies: the institutionalization of loneliness and its transformation into a manageable social phenomenon through digital technologies,” he stated.

Prof. Ebulfez Süleymanlı from the Üsküdar University Department of Sociology evaluated the recently widespread digital applications “Are You Dead?” and “Are You Dead Yet” from a sociological perspective.

A social alarm, not a technological convenience

Prof. Süleymanlı stressed that this phenomenon cannot be reduced to a simple technological convenience. “This situation signals a social alarm rather than a technological ease. It indicates that an individual’s existence is no longer noticed spontaneously, and that social relationships are increasingly losing the capacity to fulfill this function,” he said. According to Prof. Süleymanlı, what these applications implicitly suggest is strikingly clear: social relations are no longer strong enough to recognize an individual’s presence on their own.

Digital applications bring solo living back to the center of sociological debate

Prof. Süleymanlı noted that the emergence of digital confirmation applications such as Are You Dead Yet has brought the phenomenon of living alone back to the center of sociological debates. He emphasized that this concept in academic literature is not rooted in romanticized individual choices, but rather in deep and often traumatic experiences of social rupture. Referring to the work of sociologist Eric Klinenberg, Prof. Süleymanlı explained: “In his book Going Solo, Eric Klinenberg bases the concept of ‘solo living’ on field research conducted after the 1995 Chicago heat wave. During this disaster, many elderly individuals living alone passed away in their homes without being noticed for days. This tragedy clearly demonstrated that solo living is not merely a lifestyle choice, but a structural vulnerability capable of producing fatal outcomes.”

Algorithmic reflex replaces social reflex

Highlighting that solo living reflects deepening inequalities along lines of age, class, social capital, and vulnerability in modern societies, Prof. Süleymanlı stated that digital confirmation applications have emerged precisely within this fragile context. He explained that applications of the Are You Dead? type transform the risk of “delayed discovery” into a digital protocol in a world where traditional social networks have largely lost their function. “If the individual fails to signal that they are alive, the system interprets this as an exception and activates an intervention mechanism. In this way, algorithmic reflex replaces social reflex,” he said.

Virality is not a coincidence

Prof. Süleymanlı emphasized that the rapid viral spread of digital confirmation applications is no coincidence, but rather an indicator of a deep ontological insecurity experienced by modern individuals. “Today’s individual feels insecure not only physically, but also at an existential level. People want reassurance that they exist, that they are noticed, and that they are meaningfully connected to others,” he stated. He concluded by noting that trust in modern societies is increasingly derived not from face-to-face relationships, but from digital signals and verification mechanisms. “Are You Dead Yet does not aim to eliminate loneliness; it aims to make it manageable. In this sense, it is not a solution to loneliness, but a technology for coping with it.”

Loneliness is no longer hidden; however, it is being managed

Drawing attention to comparable international cases, Prof. Ebulfez Süleymanlı noted that similar practices can be observed in sensor-based home systems for elderly individuals living alone in Japan, digital care applications targeting single-person households in South Korea, and emergency verification software in the United States. “Particularly in Japan, the increase in suicide cases among elderly individuals living alone during the prolonged lockdowns of the pandemic led to loneliness being addressed as a public crisis, ultimately resulting in the establishment of a Ministry of Loneliness. Similarly, in United Kingdom, a Ministry of Loneliness was created due to the impact of loneliness on public health. Loneliness is no longer treated as an individual issue but as a structural problem addressed at the level of state policy. The common denominator of these examples is clear: social bonds are being replaced by digital monitoring and verification mechanisms. Loneliness is no longer something to be concealed; it is becoming a social phenomenon that is measured, monitored, and incorporated into governance frameworks,” he stated.

Loneliness in Türkiye has entered a new phase

Prof. Süleymanlı explained that the issue of loneliness in Türkiye has taken on a new dimension with accelerated urbanization, the dissolution of the extended family structure, and the widespread adoption of digital communication practices. “In this context, Üsküdar University has developed a substantial body of academic knowledge through international symposiums and national-scale research projects that examine loneliness each year across different social groups and societal categories. Recent studies on youth and loneliness, as well as aging and loneliness, reveal that loneliness is experienced in different forms across generations, yet in both groups it is commonly associated with a lack of visibility, belonging, and social support,” he said. Prof. Süleymanlı emphasized that digital applications should be understood as both a result and a symptom of loneliness. “Tools such as Are You Dead? function as temporary defense mechanisms produced at the individual level in response to social disintegration. This intersection between academic knowledge and digital practice demonstrates that loneliness is no longer merely a theoretical debate; it has become a domain of everyday life that is directly regulated. Are You Dead? / Are You Dead Yet is far more than a simple mobile application. These tools make visible the social fragility of our era, shaped along the axis of loneliness, security, and proof of existence. The fundamental question implied by these applications is clear: in a society where individuals must regularly confirm that they are alive, which social bonds have weakened?” he stated.

Young people are turning to ai-based digital tools to share their problems

Noting that in the digital age loneliness has transformed from a merely felt emotion into a social phenomenon that is monitored, measured, and managed, Prof. Süleymanlı added: “Especially among young people, as the number of trusted individuals with whom problems can be shared face-to-face decreases, practices of confiding in and sharing experiences with AI-based digital tools such as ChatGPT are becoming increasingly widespread. This tendency indicates that human relationships are becoming more superficial, while the need for spaces where individuals can be listened to without judgment, with continuous accessibility and a sense of safety, is growing.” He referred to the findings of the Youth, Digitalization, and Loneliness study conducted by Üsküdar University, which show that despite intense digital interaction, young people struggle to establish deep, sustainable, and trust-based social bonds. “Technology does not eliminate loneliness; it merely offers ways to cope with it. Lasting trust, belonging, and genuine human contact are not found in algorithmic systems, but in face-to-face relationships that must be rebuilt and in practices of collective solidarity,” he concluded.