Effect of virtual socializing on recreational social health examining the effects on generation Y and Z

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of virtual socialization on recreational social health in the context of Generation Y and Generation Z. The study group consisted of a total of 204 students studying at Trakya University Kırkpınar Faculties of Sport Sciences in Turkey. Among the participants, 111 were female and 93 were male. In terms of age groups, 166 participants belonged to Generation Z, while 38 belonged to Generation Y. The Recreational Social Health Scale (RSHS) and the Virtual Environment Loneliness Scale (VELS) were used as data collection tools. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. The findings revealed that Generation Y participants scored higher than Generation Z participants in the sub-dimensions of time management, communication, and happiness-peace. Analyses based on gender differences showed that male participants had significantly higher levels of virtual socialization, virtual sharing, and virtual environment loneliness compared to female participants, whereas female participants demonstrated higher levels of recreational social health. In addition, a significant negative correlation was found between recreational social health and virtual environment loneliness scores. In conclusion, the study indicated that an increase in the time spent in digital environments may have adverse effects on social health, while face-to-face social interactions positively support recreational social health. The findings are consistent with previous research in the literature and suggest that recreational programs for university students should be designed to balance digital engagement and real-life social interaction.