Exploring Emotional Intimacy and Disconnection in Digital Social Relationships among Young Adults
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Abstract
Digital communication has significantly transformed the landscape of interpersonal relationships, particularly in how emotional intimacy is experienced and expressed. Within this evolving context, limited attention has been given to the subjective experiences of individuals navigating emotional disconnection in digital environments. While previous studies have addressed behavioral patterns and psychological effects, little is known about how people interpret and assign meaning to emotional rupture and recovery in virtual spaces. This study adopts an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore how individuals reconstruct emotional intimacy following interpersonal disconnection through digital networks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants (6 women and 4 men) aged 20 to 35 years who had recently experienced relational loss while remaining active on social media platforms. Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), revealing three key themes: (1) emotional fragmentation despite digital proximity (defined as the perceived dissonance between emotional need and online interaction), (2) selective engagement as a coping mechanism (intentional limitation of digital interaction to manage vulnerability), and (3) digital rituals as tools for healing (personalized online practices such as posting symbolic content or commemorative messages to process grief). These findings highlight how emotional intimacy in digital spaces is a dynamic, personalized process shaped by intentional practices and symbolic meaning. The study deepens our understanding of emotional resilience and identity reconstruction in virtual settings and suggests that future research should consider culturally diverse narratives and longitudinal perspectives on digital emotional coping.
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