In our modern world, we are always connected to the internet, and therefore to each other. We communicate with each other through our technology rather than face to face – such as via texting and emails.  But is this a good or bad thing? How does this affect how we relate to one another and how we understand one another?
Technology allows us to stay in contact with our loved ones over vast distances, which is surely a benefit for our connection to others and therefore our ability to be empathetic. But, if the opportunity was not available to communicate, would we venture so far afield from home? This is an interesting question. The answer, at least for some people, would be no. But this would then mean we would not have the opportunity to travel to other places and interact with different people and cultures.
The internet allows us to engage with others more and in new ways. We get to see what they see through Snapchat and Instagram, we learn what they are feeling through Facebook and Twitter, we learn what they’re up to and what their interests and beliefs are. This is a form of engagement that would not have been possible in a pre-internet world. This allows us to interact with others on a deeper level, improving our compassion towards them.
There are several other ways that the internet has proven to be beneficial to our compassion. There has been an insurgence in charity fundraising in the dawn of the internet. Donating money to charity, and gaining traction for a charitable campaign, has become far easier. It has also become easier to reach others and get them involved in a charitable event, leading to opportunities to evoke emotional and compassionate responses from others.
There are also benefits for compassion in the internet through opportunities for self-expression. We can express ourselves freely on the internet, and find like-minded people. This helps us to be more compassionate towards ourselves, and to better understand others.
Technology helps us care for and check in with others even when we’re far away. Because of the internet, it’s easy to check up on someone. You can Skype them and see their face, message them on Facebook and ask how their doing, and so on. This ease of communication allows for more ease with our compassion.
However, there is a flip side to this. Technology can also be damaging to our compassion and empathy towards others. The internet has proven to induce a great deal of cruelty, with internet trolling and cyber-bullying. Due to the chance to be anonymous, people show their worst sides by treating others poorly with cruel torments, bullying and even death threats. People seem to hide behind their screens, and detach themselves from what they are saying. They seem to believe that comments made on the internet are somehow less real, when in fact they can be just as damaging.
An argument could be made that in a connected world, we lose interest in local affairs and lose connections with local communities. Even if this is true, this community is being replaced by an online community, which is often more likely to made up of people we have more in common with. This leads to better links and therefore deeper compassion.
There are many fear-mongering claims in news articles that suggest teenagers are less empathetic due to their smartphones. This kind of unfounded accusation is nothing new; there have always been claims that try to demonise the new methods and lifestyles of teenagers and young people. Just because a practice is not yet fully understood, that does not mean that it is necessarily a negative thing.
In truth, the internet overall may not affect our sense of compassion. There are some ways it allows us to be more compassionate, and some ways that it damages our empathy. For example, the internet both exposes us to online dangers, and gives us a safe haven – dangers may include catfishing, abuse and exploitation, while benefits include apps for domestic abuse victims to keep them safe, and Facebook’s ‘check-in’ during natural disasters.
The case could be made that social media can be good or bad depending on whether your friends are good or bad friends. Similarly, the internet as a whole is a reflection of humanity. The internet is man-made, and every page and link and post has been put thereby a person somewhere in the world. The internet reflects all the good we can do, and all the cruelty we are capable of, and as such, the internet neither damages nor improves our compassion towards one another. The internet simply amplifies our natural inclination towards compassion or malevolence.
