(Image credit: Interaction Design)
If we have a hope of getting along in a crowded and conflicted world, we’re going to have to learn to live with our differences. Unfortunately, we face a media culture which thrives on provoking outrage. Outrage is, at its most base level, very good for elevating the sort of stats which advertisers like to see: Engagement.
The economics of outrage media has lead us down a path of an “us vs. them” mainstream culture. It’s given us “top lists” instead of thoughtful journalism and viral memes designed to boost “likes” and “retweets.” It short-changes us the nuanced reality of human interactions, drives us to befriend only those who share our specific views, and erodes our capacity for empathy.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Studies at the Max Planck Institute for Human and Cognitive Brain sciences have shown that when our needs are met, we are less able to empathize with another person’s suffering. (In essence, when you’re eating well every day, it’s a lot easier to call poor people lazy.) Real empathy means understanding “that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something,” according to H. Jackson Brown.
Today you will be bombarded by media which will be focused on provoking you in ways which ultimately may make it hard for you to see the world through the eyes of others. From the television in the airport to the torrent of your social media feeds, you’re quite likely to feel yourself being pushed towards an emotional response which divides you from someone, which reinforces a base judgement that you are “simply right” and “those people are wrong.”
I would urge you today to be conscious of these moments. Look for them. When you feel them, take a moment to remind yourself most media outlets, old and new, are not interested in building common human connections and strengthening our empathy for one another.
Here are some great resources for understanding the power of empathy:
