Can Stories Reignite the World’s Empathy?

You're doom-scrolling through your phone, and in the blink of an eye, you've witnessed a war zone, a celebrity train wreck, a cute cat video, and a political dumpster fire. Your brain is spinning, trying to keep up with the emotional whiplash.

Welcome to the digital age, where the human experience is compressed into bite-sized chaos. And in this wild west of memes and hot takes, something crucial is slipping away: our ability to truly give a damn.

Roger Ebert once called movies “empathy machines” because they let us walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. So before we throw in the towel and accept a future of apathetic scrolling, let’s dig into why empathy is on life support and how we scribblers can bring it back from the brink.

The Curse of the Quick Fix

Social media thrives on instant gratification. Tweets, TikToks, and Insta posts boil down complex realities into easily digestible nuggets. But while this makes information more accessible, it also strips away the juicy details.

Nuance gets lost in translation. Conversations turn into cage matches of right vs. wrong, good vs. evil.

Reflection is replaced by knee-jerk reactions. We shoot from the hip instead of using our heads.

Real people become two-dimensional caricatures. It’s easy to dismiss someone when they’re just a username on a screen.

It’s hard to practice empathy when our main mode of engagement is swiping past someone’s pain faster than you can say hashtag thoughts and prayers.

Numbness vs. Outrage

Our digital world bombards us with suffering daily. In the span of an afternoon, we can witness enough tragedy to fill a lifetime — war, violence, disasters, injustice. And over time, one of two things can happen:

We become desensitized. The sheer volume of misery makes individual stories feel like just another drop in the bucket.

We fly off the handle. Instead of processing pain with patience, we lash out in short bursts of anger that don’t necessarily lead to understanding.

Both responses put a damper on true compassion. Feeling too little and feeling too much can both create roadblocks to genuine connection.

Algorithms of Division

If empathy is about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, social media algorithms lead us down a one-way street. Platforms serve up content that confirms our existing beliefs, creating echo chambers that make it harder to see the humanity on the other side of the aisle.

When we only extend empathy to our own tribe, society starts to splinter. True compassion means stepping into someone else’s world—even when it challenges our own.

Emotional Intelligence?

For centuries, we’ve learned empathy face-to-face through tone, body language, and eye contact. But now, so much of our communication happens through screens, where these emotional cues are MIA.

Sarcasm gets lost in translation.

Conflict escalates at warp speed.

We forget there’s a living, breathing person behind the pixels.

This shift is especially concerning for younger generations, who have fewer opportunities to develop emotional intelligence in real life.

The Grand Illusion of Online Connection

The internet gives us a front-row seat to more perspectives than ever, but are we seeing the whole picture?

Hitting “like” on a post about injustice isn’t the same as sitting down with someone and hearing their story firsthand.

Sharing an article about mental health awareness isn’t the same as reaching out to a friend in need.

Empathy isn’t just about exposure. It’s about engagement. And a lot of our digital habits prioritize performance over true understanding.

Reboot Empathy

The solution isn’t as simple as logging off and touching grass. It’s about being intentional and seeking out high-quality interactions both online and off.

Deep-dive conversations (think podcasts, heart-to-hearts, and old-school letters) instead of drive-by comments.

Face-to-face interactions where we can see and hear each other in all our messy, beautiful humanity.

Media literacy education to spot bias, manipulation, and the emotional impact of digital spaces.

And most importantly, we can harness the power of storytelling.

Films aren’t the only medium that can reignite our compassion.

Prestige TV

Long-form television lets us invest in characters, their struggles, and growth.

The Leftovers – A gut-wrenching exploration of grief that leaves audiences feeling every loss.

This Is Us – A multi-generational family drama immersing viewers in an emotional rollercoaster.

Maid – A raw, real depiction of escaping domestic abuse while navigating poverty and single motherhood.

Video Games

Unlike passive media, games let us make choices—and live with the consequences.

The Last of Us – Grapples with impossible moral dilemmas, deepening emotional investment.

Undertale – Teaches the power of kindness and mercy through player choices.

Red Dead Redemption 2 – Fosters deep emotional bonds that make every moral choice a gut punch.

Theater and Live Performance

Nothing matches the immediacy of live performance. Emotions unfold in real time.

Dear Evan Hansen – A heartbreaking spotlight on loneliness and mental health.

Hamilton – Reframes history, making larger-than-life figures deeply human.

Come From Away – A true story of a small town’s kindness to stranded travelers after 9/11.

Books and Graphic Novels

The written word places us inside a character’s mind, experiencing their emotions.

Persepolis – A deeply personal account of life in post-revolution Iran.

The Book Thief – Finds humanity in both victims and reluctant participants of war.

Fun Home – A fearless exploration of identity, family, and grief.

Scripted Podcasts and Audio Dramas

Without visuals, listeners must imagine the story world— deepening engagement.

Homecoming (Gimlet Media) – An immersive dive into trauma and memory.

Welcome to Night Vale – A surreal yet surprisingly touching look at small-town life.

The Magnus Archives – Horror stories that, beneath the scares, explore fear, trauma, and resilience.

Tabletop RPGs

Collaborative storytelling allows players to inhabit characters with vastly different perspectives.

The Adventure Zone – Improvised storytelling that moves listeners to tears.

Critical Role – A cast of voice actors deeply committed to character development.

Countless home games of D&D – Where players explore morality, friendship, and loss through their created characters.

Empathy isn’t dead; it’s just drowned out. The question is: are we willing to slow down and listen? Because the future of empathy isn’t written yet. And we’re holding the pen.

You’re not facing the blank page alone. You have your scribbler’s toolbox. So, ABS. Always! Be! Scribbling!

Do you want to know more?

Articles regarding the impact and value of entertainment in fostering empathy:

From body to world: empathy and the transformative power of cinematic imagination - PMC: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10965617/

Explores how film, through its audiovisual and narrative strategies, allows viewers to experience emotions safely and intensely, leading to a deeper understanding of others and potentially fostering prosocial behaviors.

Researchers Say Watching Movies Helps You Work Your Empathy Muscle - YES! Magazine: https://www.yesmagazine.org/health-happiness/2015/10/14/researchers-say-watching-movies-helps-you-work-your-empathy-muscle

Discusses how engaging with fictional characters and narratives can stimulate the release of oxytocin, a hormone associated with empathy and social bonding, leading to increased compassion and understanding.

How Films Can Expand Our Circle of Empathy - Greater Good Science Center: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_films_can_expand_our_circle_of_empathy

Highlights a study on the film "Just Mercy," which found that watching the film increased viewers' empathy towards formerly incarcerated people and support for criminal justice reform.

Full article: Exposure to serial audiovisual narratives increases empathy via vicarious interactions - Taylor & Francis Online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15213269.2021.1879654

Examines how exposure to serial audiovisual narratives, like TV shows, can increase empathy by allowing viewers to engage in "vicarious interactions" with characters and experience their emotions.

Social media can enable an empathy revolution - The Miscellany News: https://miscellanynews.org/2024/04/24/opinions/social-media-can-enable-an-empathy-revolution/

Opinion piece argues that social media, despite its potential downsides, can also be a powerful tool for fostering empathy by exposing users to diverse perspectives and facilitating connections with people from different backgrounds.