The article titled “Sofalizing and its relationship with social media addiction and psychosocial factors: A new phenomenon among emerging adults” presents an empirical investigation of a recently coined term: sofalizing. Defined as the act of socializing from one’s sofa—primarily through digital means such as social media, messaging apps, or other internet-based platforms—sofalizing encapsulates a shift in how younger generations engage in social interaction. The study, conducted by Tosuntaş, Karadağ, Emirtekin, Kircaburun, and Griffiths, offers an analytical view into the psychosocial drivers and consequences of this behavior, particularly within a university student population in Türkiye.
The research examines the interplay between social anxiety, social connectedness, and social media addiction in relation to sofalizing. Utilizing a sample of 666 university students, the authors employed both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, t-tests, and structural equation modeling. A new measurement tool—the Sofalizing Scale—was developed and validated, comprising two subdimensions: online displacement and social compensation. This allowed the authors to quantitatively assess how and why individuals may prefer digital over face-to-face communication.
One of the key findings was that social anxiety significantly predicted sofalizing behavior, but this relationship was largely mediated by social media addiction. In contrast, social connectedness did not have a statistically significant effect in the structural model, although it was negatively correlated with sofalizing in preliminary analyses. This implies that individuals who experience higher levels of social anxiety are more likely to become addicted to social media, which in turn increases their likelihood of engaging in sofalizing. The model accounted for 53% of the variance in sofalizing behavior, demonstrating strong explanatory power.
The study’s implications are both theoretical and practical. Theoretically, it adds to our understanding of digital social behavior through the lens of the social compensation hypothesis, which posits that individuals with difficulties in offline social contexts may compensate via online interactions. Practically, it suggests that interventions to reduce sofalizing and associated digital overuse should target social anxiety and the underlying need for controlled social environments. It also emphasizes the potential for therapeutic use of online platforms, especially for socially anxious individuals who find virtual interaction more manageable.
Overall, this research is one of the first to systematically define and measure sofalizing as a behavioral construct, linking it meaningfully to broader psychosocial and digital behavior frameworks. As digital communication continues to evolve, sofalizing may become a focal point in discussions on mental health, social development, and media addiction in young populations.
Reference:
Tosuntaş, Ş. B., Karadağ, E., Emirtekin, E., Kircaburun, K., & Griffiths, M. D. (2024). Sofalizing and its relationship with social media addiction and psychosocial factors: A new phenomenon among emerging adults. The Social Science Journal, 61(2), 378–390. https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2020.1809900
