Comments on: Does Social Media Make Us Less Empathetic?

By: JDB

JDB — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:03:03 +0000

When you look at online threads posted by anonymous people, the cynicism and rude nature of many of the comments are disturbing. There is no accountability because there is no one in front of you that you have to see as a real person. Just because people think that it is a completely positive influence in their lives, doesn’t mean anything. Go to youtube right now and read the threads. Find some young songwriter or whatnot and see how many comments are encouraging and how many are vicious attacks. We wouldn’t normally say the things we might post in real life. However, as online social media becomes a more dominant part of our social lives, then the ways we act when online will bleed into our real human interactions. Practice makes perfect, right? We don’t have to have patience online; we can click away. We don’t have to participate in actual conversations online. We post and run. While the internet has been a boon for people who might not feel comfortable in many social settings thereby giving them a voice (shier students, say, are shown to respond to online class discussions much more than they might speak in class)we need face to face interactions, real dialogue, in our life to make us empathetic. Not quick posts and “chats.”

By: @Schugarmama

@Schugarmama — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:25:56 +0000

I love that you included the link to take the test. And I will.

My first problem with this research is that it was conducted by students in the demographic being studied. If it is true that their generation lacks empathy, then are they able to objectively identify the root cause(s)?

My second is that the sample question seems more indicative of “sympathy” than “empathy”. Empathy is like the stuck-up sibling to compassion. It is more an intellectual recognition of another’s pain instead of the visceral experience of that pain.

Also, these are the kids being raised by “their friends” a.k.a. parents who are more concerned with their kids liking them than making them into good people. (Or so I’ve read…) If this is true, and this generation “Me” grows up with their entire world catering to their whims… would it be an obvious result that they lack empathy? I mean, if you’re allowed to treat your parents like sh#t, how are you going to treat the ROW?

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:01:25 +0000

I’m assuming you took the opposite stance to generate conversation. So to show the other side and help you along, you can read these stats:

http://www.marketingcharts.com/direct/internet-seen-as-positive-for-social-relations-13456/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=mc&utm_medium=textlink

“Eighty-five percent of [...] members of the general public agreed with the statement, “In 2020, when I look at the big picture and consider my personal friendships, marriage and other relationships, I see that the internet has mostly been a positive force on my social world. And this will only grow more true in the future.”