""It is a beautiful feeling that allows you to discover new things, but it also makes you feel very unhappy and lonely." This paradoxical description comes from a research participant in Türkiye in our multi-country investigation of social connection. In Türkiye-a culture synonymous with çay (tea) shared among friends and legendary hospitality- loneliness wears an unexpected face. Türkiye reports high loneliness rates despite cultural traditions emphasizing warmth and connection."
"When we interviewed 45 people from Türkiye across different ages, regions, and loneliness levels, a pattern emerged that had nothing to do with social skills or cultural values. "Türkiye is not a place where you can easily utilize coping mechanisms to cope with loneliness," one participant explained. "You can't have a hobby in Türkiye. Everything is very expensive and you don't have money. You can't meet new people because you don't have money. You can't go out; you can't take a course... Money is the beginning of everything, unfortunately.""
High loneliness in Türkiye coexists with cultural practices of communal tea and komşuluk. Interviews with 45 people across ages, regions, and loneliness levels reveal economic strain as a central driver of disconnection. Inflation, expensive leisure, multiple jobs, and housing costs remove the material capacity to form and sustain social ties. Political control, urbanization, and social fractures amplify fear and reduce trust, turning hospitality into performative gestures rather than genuine connection. Economic instability limits coping mechanisms and social participation, while cultural warmth alone cannot compensate for structural barriers to sustained social contact.
Read at Psychology Today
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