Yeni Medya Çağında Nostalji: Bir Bellek Mekanı Olarak Old Laik Days
Özet
The key concept in explaining Turkey's social and political transformation in the 2000s
is the "old Turkey." The discourse of the old Turkey brings a comparison between the
past and the present. This comparison becomes frequently used both in everyday life
and in politics. While the problems of the past serve a function in idealizing the present,
there are also those who yearn for the past. This situation indicates the coexistence of
different images of the past. This coexistence implies a social aspect of remembering.
Testimonies and narratives influence individuals' perspectives on the past. Thus, the
group to which an individual belongs shapes their way of remembering. What is
remembered, forgotten, and ignored will influence individuals' and groups' perspectives
on the past.
The subject of the thesis is the Old Laik Days account on the social media platform
Instagram, which generates nostalgia by invoking the past in a positive tone. In this
sense, the account is considered as a memory place. With the opportunities brought by
new media technologies, nostalgia finds a wide dissemination space and becomes
popularized. On the other hand, the possibility of mutual interaction in the new media
environment allows nostalgia to stay alive. Therefore, the aim of the thesis is to reflect
on the relationship between new media and nostalgia.
The aim of the thesis is to approach the nostalgia emerging from the Old Laik Days
account as a reflection of today's crises. In this sense, nostalgia is seen as a product of
the present, rather than the past. Nostalgia is based on the idea that the golden age has
been lost. Thus, the study aims to reach the traces of the golden age(s) and losses of Old
Laik Days. On the other hand, the study also involves reflecting on the impact of this
emerging nostalgia on the future. Is the nostalgia that emerges in a form of mourning, or
does it play a decisive role in constructing the future?
