Self-Exploitation, Transparency, and Control: Byung-Chul Han’s Perspective on Social Media

Authors : İsmail Kaplan

Pages : 405-418

Doi:10.17680/erciyesiletisim.1631151

View : 155 | Download : 227

Publication Date : 2025-07-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study examines the impact of the digital age on individuals through Byung-Chul Han’s critiques of social media. It examines both social and individual transformations using Han’s concepts of “self-exploitation”, “transparency”, “burnout”, and “surveillance”. The analysis is based on chapters from 11 of Han’s works, all translated into Turkish, that discuss social media. Content analysis was used in the study. Books were searched using keywords such as ‘social media,’ ‘digital media,’ and ‘internet,’ and content related to the study was coded. The findings were classified under specific themes and interpreted. Results of the study show Han’s argument that social media fosters superficiality and echo chambers, while users’ constant self-optimization leads to burnout, depression, and narcissism. He also critiques social media’s role in distorting the public sphere and spreading fake news. Han’s insights offer a critical framework for understanding the psychological and social pressures of the digital age. To counter these effects, he advocates rejecting the culture of speed, embracing contemplation, and adopting alternative lifestyles such as meditation.
Keywords : Sosyal medya, Şeffaflık, Öz-sömürü, Gözetim, Yankı odaları

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