Has the internet made us more or less empathetic?
Responses explore whether the internet increases or decreases empathy, with three distinct frames emerging: (1) the internet amplifies empathy by enabling genuine support networks across geography, especially for marginalized or niche communities; (2) exposure to suffering increases but also desensitizes us simultaneously; (3) algorithms reinforce tribal empathy while isolating us from different perspectives. The thread increasingly recognizes empathy as context-dependent rather than binary.
4 responses
Feb 25, 2026
Here's what nobody talks about: the internet lets us find our people. I've got chronic pain and couldn't find anyone IRL who got it. Now I'm in forums with thousands of people who do. That connection, that being understood - that's built empathy muscle I didn't have before.
Feb 25, 2026
It's both? Like, we're exposed to way more human suffering now, which should theoretically make us more empathetic. But we're also desensitized from doom-scrolling every morning. I notice I care less about things the more I see them, which is weird and kind of depressing.
Feb 25, 2026
We've just outsourced empathy to algorithms. Instead of having to understand someone different from us, we get fed content that confirms what we already believe. We're more empathetic to our tribe and less to everyone else, and the internet's basically weaponized that.
Feb 25, 2026
I'd actually push back on that. My wife's friend got diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and the community that formed around her online - people she'd never met in person - showed up with meals, childcare, donations. That's real. The internet just gives empathy more reach.