“Treat others the way you want to be treated”: a phrase we have no doubt all heard repeatedly during our childhoods. From the time we were infants, toddling around daycare, through our current high school years as we navigate friendships and relationships, aiming to be the best versions of ourselves along the way, our teachers and parents have all impressed upon us the importance of empathy. We have learned how to relate our emotions to those around us and how to understand how others are feeling. In elementary school we watched videos upon videos about bucket filling and tried to avoid becoming bucket dippers at all costs. Empathy is a core value of our education and lifestyles, so why has it seen such a sharp decline?
Our generation is heavily reliant on the internet and technology in general, which seems to be a large part of the problem. Social media gives bucket dippers a platform to be hateful with no consequences. When users write mean comments or send unkind messages on social media, their screens act as shields from reality, removing empathy from the equation. Users begin to see other users as pixels on a screen rather than humans with emotions and personalities. Therefore, there is little understanding of emotions or feelings via social media. This disconnect translates to a chasm through empathy in real life.
I was heartbroken after watching a video of a neurodivergent girl on tiktok sharing her morning routine with viewers and opening the comments to some of the nastiest remarks I could imagine. How could nobody stop to think how these comments would make the girl feel? It seemed impossible to me that people could be so heartless, let alone actually voice those thoughts. It made me think about how little empathy there is left in the world. Of course people all over the world are still empathetic, but it all feels very selective to me. Empathy is special because of its ability to dominate bias. It is defined as the ability to share emotions and understand the perspectives of others. This means that to have empathy we need to put ourselves in other peoples shoes and try to understand how they feel before making rash comments or judging too swiftly.
In a time like the present, when our nation is dominated by outstanding hate in the form of racism, sexism, and classism, it has become more important than ever to be empathetic. So often I see people in the media and everyday life making hasty assumptions about certain people or groups of people based on their own deeply rooted beliefs. While I am not encouraging anyone to be unopinionated, I am urging everyone to be less quick to judge.
Take a moment to realize that each and every one of us on this earth is living a completely separate and individually complex life and your opinions, emotions, and ideas aren’t the only ones to exist. Show kindness towards others even if you find yourselves to be different from one another and be more thoughtful.
In a time of red-hot political rage and looming social media empires, the best quality anyone can have. I believe that empathy will be the bridge to many of the divides within our society and will eventually repair our nation, however we must first put it to action. Lets all try to be a little bit more thoughtful and aware of the people around us and begin using empathy in our lives, it will change the world.
