The Lost Art of Empathy

Empathy. Throughout our weeks of studying digital citizenship and the details of its nine elements, this is a theme that has been consistent. With each passing lesson, we are further reminded of the importance of operating with a sense of empathy and compassion in digital spaces in order to create respectful and safe environments for all digital users. No where has this been more highlighted than in this week’s discussion of cyberbullying. Hearing the various stories of people both young and old experiencing this type of bullying made me ask a very basic question. How did we get here?

Just decades ago slanderous magazines like Star and National Enquirer were considered an embarrassment to journalism as they were dubbed “rags”. Those who read them were secretive about it and did not let anyone know they were interested in the gossip, slander, and rumors presented within pages of magazines like these. Now, however, with television shows and websites like TMZ, reality television, numerous gossip blogs like Perez Hilton, and an extensive list of YouTube channels dedicated to promoting unconstructive criticism, rumor spreading, and invasion of privacy, creating and consuming this type of content is now viewed positively. Once again, how did we get to this point? What in our society has changed that has caused this to now be acceptable?

Well, there is one particular factor that I believe has created this change. With the increased access we have to people now via technology we, unfortunately, have become more desensitized to others’ feelings. With so many people now in our daily circle, our connections with others have become more surface. Most people rarely talk on the phone or see each other face to face. Instead, they prefer communicating with each other via texting and messaging. With this means of communication the majority of the time, the human element one would normally get from seeing the expressions on someone's face while talking to them in person or hearing the tone of their voice on the phone begins to dwindle. And after a while, as we have witnessed in the countless stories of cyberbullying this week, the respect and care for the feelings of others becomes virtually nonexistent. This is why teaching digital citizenship elements such as digital rights and responsibilities, digital etiquette, and digital communication before they even pick up their first device is so important. By modeling for them how to interact with others in digital spaces with positivity and empathy from an early age, these behaviors will become habits by the time they begin using digital devices.