Human is a Social Being: Socializing in Pandemic Times

Abstract

Objective: It was aimed to evaluate the news of national television that revealed the ways people socialize during the first year of the pandemic in Turkey. Methods: According to the ethnographic qualitative research design, the news showed between 11 March 2020 and 11 March 2021 in the news of six national channels in Turkey and containing the forms of socialization were analyzed by content analysis. Results: Life did not fit at home, the form of socialization changed and this new form of socialization evolved in the direction of digitalization. Those who have kept up with the digital age have realized their socialization experiences by spending time on social media. Neighbors began communicating by gathering on balconies, rather than being guests in one another's homes. Society have made an effort to cope with uncertainty and obscurity by returning to localness and living its traditions. Coping with challenges in the belief that they would be resolved together has enabled Turkish society to cope more successfully with the pandemic process. Conclusions: This study will be a precursor to support multidisciplinary studies in community mental health studies in times of crisis, will provide important data for community mental health promotion practices.