Has Social Media destroyed Society’s Empathy?
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
By: Kelsey Sutch
A typical scroll on TikTok looks like this: a cute makeup tutorial, your favourite content creator, live footage of war-stricken countries where buildings are getting blown up, and people are brutally murdered, a singing video, political takes of the horror the world is facing, footage of children being bombed, scroll- scroll- scroll- until we finally close the app. With the skyrocketing use of social media and the continuous technological breakthroughs in the 21st century, one must ask, have these developments done more harm than good? Allowing people to witness the horrors of wars on their screens was meant to expose the injustices and brutality of what is happening, encouraging them to recognise its severity, to speak up, and to fight for innocent lives, even if those efforts prove to be unsuccessful. Unfortunately, what it has done is desensitise people to the horrors happening in the world. The impact of the exposure to this violence has tainted what we as a society have chosen to tolerate and normalise, and that is the greatest horror of it all.
Constant exposure to the suffering of others, particularly in ongoing wars, can lead to a decline in empathy. The mediation of this content through social media, combined with the lack of direct contact, contributes to the dehumanisation of those affected. It causes these situations to feel distant, which is why people can scroll past them so easily. Constant exposure to such content on our screens also makes it increasingly digestible, turning it into just another tragic event happening somewhere in the world. We shouldn’t continue to allow ourselves to become tolerable to injustices. There is nothing normal about injustice. We need to educate ourselves on what is happening in the world by watching videos of war and its aftermath in full. Sit with the horror before you, process it, seek to understand it, and confront the sheer evil behind such acts. Recognise the very real brutality, the terror people face each day, and the anguish, pain, and loss they are forced to endure
We should not become bystanders of war. Spread the information, realise the dystopian world we are currently living in. A world where, even as war rages, life elsewhere continues, crowds gather at musical festivals, seemingly untouched by the suffering beyond our screens. Where people do not speak up for fear of not looking cool. While it does feel as if there is not much one can do, not much power one has over these acts of terror, still, do something. Do not lose your empathy, because the scary truth is that the only difference between innocent people and children who are being murdered and us is our geographical location. Mangione once said, “empathy is a fundamental survival trait because it is awareness that the other person could be me”.
The average South African has a vast number of problems. Unemployment. Poverty. The cost of living is increasing. Petrol prices increase due to the war. The average South African is unable to afford monthly groceries, one of many expenses. Life is difficult. People are struggling, and that's putting it lightly. Without ever intending to undermine these struggles, we must not lose our empathy for the rest of the world. We should recognise how fortunate we are, that while people lose their lives in unimaginable ways every single day in war, the burdens we face are rising fuel prices and the rise in the cost of living.
While we may scroll away and move on with our lives, let us remember the horror that others experience daily, let us raise awareness, and not become tolerant of the horrible acts of violence plaguing innocent people in the world right now. Above all else, may God be with the people of Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza, Palestine, Lebanon, and beyond. And may we never forget how quickly our problems, while extremely difficult, can feel insignificant in the face of war.
Article Edited By: Munei Zoe Mbedzi
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