Digital Fugue: An Ineffective Coping Method in the Digital Age
Digital Fugue: An Ineffective Coping Method in the Digital Age

Summary/Abstract: Digital technologies have increasingly become central to individuals' daily lives, evolving beyond mere tools for communication or information access to assume psychological and social functions. This review examines the concept of "digital fugue," which refers to individuals' tendency to turn to digital devices as a means of coping with anxiety, social pressure, stress, or discomforting situations. Digital fugue is defined as a state in which an individual remains physically present in a social environment while mentally and interactionally withdrawing into the digital world. In this respect, the concept is distinguished from digital addiction, representing a situational and context-specific escape behavior rather than continuous and uncontrolled use. The study examines the theoretical foundations of digital fugue and discusses its similarities and differences with related concepts such as avoidance-based coping, experiential avoidance, escapism, and problematic smartphone use. Furthermore, social anxiety, inadequate coping skills, alienation, and the desire to escape from the environment are evaluated as significant factors in the emergence of digital fugue behavior. Literature findings indicate that while digital devices may provide short-term psychological relief for individuals, they may be associated with decreased social interaction, loneliness, isolation, alienation, weakening of social skills, and mental health problems in the long term. In conclusion, digital fugue offers an important conceptual framework for understanding individuals' social and psychological needs in the digital age and establishes a novel research area for future empirical investigations.

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