Empathy, the ability to not only understand but share someone’s feelings, is one of the most powerful emotional abilities a person can have. The strength to be able to put yourself into another person’s shoes is generally considered an important quality to possess. However, studies in recent years have suggested there has been a decrease in this attribute among today’s population.
Empathy is primarily based on the capability to share the feelings of others. This ability is only possible due to human interaction. Empathy is important because it provides the ability to care for others and understand how our actions have an impact on other people’s lives.
“In order to relate to people and all sorts of ways, we have empathy, which, you know, is the ability to understand what someone is feeling,” said Sarah Giacalone, owner and clinical director at Green Valley Therapy.
With how important empathy is there has been a notable decrease of it in society. The supposed decrease in empathy appears to stem from the push for independence amongst younger generations. Hyper-independence is pushed onto younger generations due to ecological struggles like inflation.
“I feel like society in general encourages, just a focus on self,” stated Alli Rohrer, a student counselor at Linganore High School (LHS).
While independence is not a harmful quality to have, and can even be helpful in some cases, the culture created around it has gone beyond what is traditionally recommended. Even a strong person needs help sometimes, but recently, individuals would rather put themselves under a lot of pressure than ask for help.
Many students put themselves under so much pressure from school, work, sports and at home events, that they lack the time to take a moment and actively consider what other people are experiencing.
¨Sometimes I feel like I get more stressed and don’t give people the benefit of the doubt if they annoy me,¨ Megan Coccia, a student from the class of 2028 and varsity girls lacrosse member, said.
Another possible contribution to the lack of empathy today stems from the Covid-19 pandemic. When Covid first hit the United States, students were only prepared for a two-week break from school. This break turned into around a two year hiatus from in-person education.
Schools are not just important centers for learning, but they also serve as a social center for children to build basic human skills through social interactions. The lack of socialization took away the face-to-face exchanges that are critical to building empathy
For many, it can be easy to look past what is happening in other states or countries outside of one’s own sphere. With social media providing an eye to how people around the world are living, why is there still a lack of empathy? This could be because those events don’t directly affect us or the people around us.
“Things that happen all the way on the other side of the world don’t have an immediate impact [on us], but at the same time, I feel like it’s important for us to see how those individuals feel,” said Paula Richardson, who teaches AP Psychology at LHS.
This reduction in the development of empathy has had a significant impact on younger generations today. This is especially seen in cyberbullying online, where someone can attack others they know or do not know, often while maintaining anonymity.
Based on research done by Intouch Public Health, studies in the United Kingdom in 2024 show that at least three teens die in relation to cyberbullying a week. Being able to hide behind a screen makes it unlikely for teens to have to face repercussions for their words.
According to Bright Path, a behavioral health institution for teens, “In 2023, 26.5% of U.S. teens reported being cyberbullied, a number that has steadily increased over the past years.”
Despite social media’s role in creating division between people, it is not entirely negative. There have been reports of it fostering empathy due to its ability to provide diverse global perspectives.
Examining social media’s impact on empathy brings attention to the other factors that contribute to its decrease.
Giacalone shared another perspective on why this lack of empathy is being seen today; “Some of it´s survival, because it’s hard to give something that we don’t feel like we are receiving.”
