Empathetic Action

As I've begun to explore the topic of desensitization further, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the value of empathy in this context. I think that this is the main idea that I want to pursue throughout my TED Talk research. The following is the definition that I felt best connected to my understanding of what empathy is: 

"Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another,
listening with the ears of another,

and feeling with the heart of another."

In my previous blog post, I discussed the idea of desensitization being the state that occurs when an "emotional response to a given stimulus is reduced or extinguished, especially by repeated exposure to that stimulus" (Dictionary.com). While collecting my thoughts in order to pitch my TED Talk topic to my classmates, I realized that empathy is the most notable emotional response that is lacking when I personally consider my own experiences with desensitization. Empathy, or rather the lack thereof, is also the most crucial and potentially concerning emotional aspect that should be talked about in regards to desensitization. The human capacity for empathy allows us to care about and share the emotional experiences of others. However, over the last 30 years, empathy levels among young people have been on a proven decline (Zaki, 2011). 

A study conducted by Sarah H. Konrath of the University of Michigan published her research regarding the subject, in which she details how self-reported empathy levels in college students have declined since the 1980s, with an even more significant drop in the last ten years prior to 2011. A separate study published by Jean M. Twenge of San Diego State University found that during this same time period, self-reported narcissism among college students was experiencing the opposite trend, increasing to levels never seen before. In many studies regarding the presence of empathy, a particular questionnaire known as the Interpersonal Reactivity Index is used. This questionnaire requires participants to agree or disagree with statements that indicate how they concern themselves with others (Zaki, 2011).

Sarah Konrath and her team collected the scores of nearly 14,000 Interpersonal Reactivity Indexes filled out by students since 1979. The startling result was that "almost 75 per cent of students today rate themselves as less empathetic than the average student 30 years ago" (Zaki, 2011). The cause for this remains unknown as scientists are unable to design a study to consider past changes that may have taken place and sparked or progressed this trend. My answer to this question is desensitization. I believe that technology and increased surveillance of the world has resulted in a saturation of suffering and bad news in the media.

Repeated exposure to any stimulus will result in the lack of an emotional response to that particular stimulus. I propose that the young people of today are less empathetic than the young people of 30 years ago, because in 2018 we carry around bad news in our pockets 24/7. Our devices give us access to negatively saturated world news at any time and any place. This constant exposure to the suffering of others has diminished the empathy of my generation. We see so much in the way of others suffering, that we have in some way normalized our consumption of pain, and are now less sensitive to the the feelings of other, whether they be directly in front of us or behind a screen.

My intention over the next couple months is to look into more studies such as the ones previously mentioned and also investigate how it would be possible to help oneself and others to become more empathetic.

Citations:

Zaki, Jamil. “What, Me Care? Young Are Less Empathetic.” Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2011, 
www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-me-care/.