OPINION: Is Empathy Waning In Modern Society?

Human beings are the most complex living organisms. Even with the many advancements in the field of science, it is still impossible to predict human behaviour. The events that unfolded in India's capital in the last few weeks are a testament to how the feeling of empathy is eroding from society.

The first incident that shook the nation took place in the last week of May which saw an adolescent girl being stabbed and bludgeoned to death by a man in his 20s. The second incident happened a week after this horrific crime which saw a 22-year-old man being stabbed to death in the capital city's Nand Nagri locality. Similar crimes followed these events but unfortunately did not get the coverage that these two incidents got.

Despite the events occurring in different timelines, there is one factor that seems to connect all of them, that is, all these ghastly crimes happened in full public view but the people standing witness to them chose not to intervene. It tells a lot about the state of society in the present times and forces one to ask whether these lives could have been saved if not for apathy. The answer to this may not be as simple as it seems when the complexities of human beings come into play.

It is worth recalling here that immediately after the crimes were committed, there were many who argued that the public inaction was a result of the bystander effect, a social psychological theory that argues that individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim in the presence of other people. But the problem may run far deeper than what is being perceived.

As suggested in the initial phases, these crimes may not be a momentary lapse in judgement but it may be a reflection of how society has changed over the years, especially with the advent of the digital age. The feelings of sympathy and empathy are intrinsically related to one's ability to understand the pain of others.

The answer to how the Indian society that was once known for its warmth reached a stage where inaction has become the norm may lie in the content that is being consumed. In an age where information is available at the fingertips and people are continuously exposed to all kinds of content, it is a sad reality that people are getting cocooned and have created different realities for themselves.

Gadgets have replaced human bonds and have slowly eroded social consciousness. Unfortunately, the lack of empathy is an issue that has affected both the young and the old alike. But the magnitude of the situation becomes clear only when its effects on the young are taken into consideration.

In a survey conducted by the Mumbai-based Association of Adolescent and Child Care in India in schools in Mumbai and Gurugram, it was found that aggression was on the rise. The constant exposure to violent images was thought to be among the primary reasons why teenagers would turn to aggressive behaviour.

The effect of such continuous viewing was found to be manifold in younger children who were into playing video games. The competition and the violent imagery that they are exposed to at a very young age would not only desensitize them but would also have an impact on them forming meaningful bonds with their families. This holds true not just for children but for people belonging to every age group.

Another survey by Common Sense Media found that teenagers spend an average screen time of nine hours a day. In a situation like this, it is important for society as a whole to acknowledge the importance of content in influencing the minds of the young and the old alike.

Another argument that is often put forth to justify public apathy is that people are scared of the consequences. In an age where attention spans are becoming lesser, even law enforcement agencies are in a hurry to pin the blame on the first person they see. This is elaborated by Prof. Joanna Mizielińska from the PAS Institute of Psychology where she argues that fear can become a major reason for indifference to violence. People are often scared that if they end up standing up to conflict, then they may be forced into lengthy legal processes.

A fact that can no longer be overlooked is that instant and global access to news has resulted in violent incidents being sensationalised. The graphic details that news channels seem to be in a competition to stream have eventually categorized news as "entertainment." The media no longer decimates mere information but is in a race to pander to people's voyeuristic nature. No privacy is given to victims of violent crimes as the videos are shared a hundred thousand times in the name of maximising views and reach.

It has resulted in a generation that can no longer empathise with what is happening around them and it has unfortunately reached a stage where a crime has to cross all levels of brutality to even elicit a meek response from the public. And it comes as no surprise that most of the activism that is seen today is restricted to social media where people take out their mobile phones and start recording events. The decline of the family as an institution has only further contributed to the woes. People-to-people connections have almost disappeared and what remains is a superficial world where they are no meaningful emotions involved.

This is substantiated by a meta-analysis of 72 studies conducted by the University of Michigan between 1979 and 2009, which found that empathy levels of American college students have dropped 40 per cent, which was mainly attributed to the rise of social media. It is worth noting that the period between 2000-2009 saw the social media boom as well as brought about the gaming revolution.

A 2002 study published in Brain and Cognition found that teenagers find it difficult to identify another person's emotions. In addition to this, a recent Pew research found that people speak up less in person now for fear of retribution. This has happened because they are aware of the many opposing views and fear getting into a confrontation. Compassion fatigue is also often cited as a reason why people fail to react. According to this, people have consumed so much violent and tragic content on social media that they lose the ability to react.

At a time when the world is on the cusp of another important technological revolution led by artificial intelligence, it has become more important than ever to foster compassion and empathy. Laws need to be changed so that people will have no fear in extending a helping hand. Families should become close-knit.

More importantly, civil society should come together in spreading the awareness that even the smallest of actions by a responsible citizen can make a big difference. As witnessed during the Odisha train tragedy, where locals were the first responders, it is evident that humanity has not vanished; rather, it requires safe spaces within society to act.

(Lekshmi Parameswaran is a researcher and writer based in New Delhi. Her twitter profile is @lekshmip.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.