From self-extermination to social anguish

social anomie and psychological distress in the digital age

Abstract

This article revisits Émile Durkheim’s interpretation of suicide as a social fact and investigates the usefulness of anomie for understanding forms of psychological distress associated with digital life. The research is qualitative and bibliographic, based on the work Suicide and on Brazilian studies addressing mental health, adolescence, internet use, cyberbullying, and epidemiological surveillance. The analysis related integration, regulation, and belonging to experiences of public exposure, comparison, and the pursuit of recognition on digital platforms. The material consulted shows that constant presence on social networks does not guarantee protective bonds. In many cases, users remain surrounded by interactions but encounter little reciprocity, unstable frames of reference, and continuous pressure to perform. Among adolescents, this tension becomes more delicate because identity formation depends heavily on acceptance by peers, school, and family. The study also recognizes that technology provides information, support, and opportunities for people to connect, and therefore cannot be treated as an isolated cause of illness. The central contribution lies in understanding digital anomie as a combination of high connectivity, volatile norms, and relational fragility. Durkheimian theory remains relevant when articulated with current data and an ethical approach capable of relating individual suffering, social organization, and care networks.