Social media can impede the cultivation of empathy in certain situations, especially if we allow ourselves to feel contempt.
In face-to-face interactions, immediate feedback is available if we insult someone. The distress on their faces tends to trigger a sense of regret, a deterrent for such behavior in the future.
Conversely, if we make derogatory comments on social media, the lack of immediate, visible feedback can sometimes lead to a false sense of empowerment or superiority, increasing the likelihood of repeating such behavior.
The root of this disparity lies in the disconnection between our actions and the resulting reactions. Without witnessing the pain, mainly non-verbal distress cues, we fail to share the suffering, thereby missing out on the chance to modulate our behavior. Our mirror neurons make us inherently empathetic creatures. This capacity for mutual understanding and shared emotion allowed the emergence of trust and collaboration, enabling our species to thrive through millennia in environments fraught with peril.
On the other hand, social media can also bring us together, strengthen interpersonal communication, and foster cooperative efforts.
Ultimately, social media isn’t inherently positive or negative but acts as a catalyst, intensifying both constructive and destructive emotions and behaviors.
Let’s choose wisely.
Martin Pham Dinh 