2020 was the year of the “woke”. In the wake of the pandemic, the young generation got time to figure out their true identities. People were mindful enough to ask for pronouns and respect a person’s way of presenting themself. Skip to five years later, this sense of community has fallen asleep. An Empathy Crisis has begun.
What was initially the medium for spreading positivity towards minority groups, has become their biggest hurdle; Internet spaces are now hijacked by cruel users; Their entire online persona revolves around berating others personalities and self-presentation. (Ragebait used to be believable.)
The Empathy Crisis
It is more than just being mean to people on the internet–It is reflective of fascist ideologies making a return; The lives of people who find themselves subjugated are treated as expendable.
Think of the ICE raids in America. Trump chose to ban the app CBP One. This app approved legal entry for over 1 million immigrants seeking asylum in the United States. Following the ban, ICE raids are taking place in full force. This raises the question: For a country built on the glorified ideals of being the destination for all aspirations, where are the dreamers supposed to go?
ICE still meets great resistance, but it also boasts of new faces beginning to support it every day. Former Superman actor Dean Cain recently joined the ICE. This was his statement:
“If you want to help save America, ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America’s streets.”
A person who has played a character which always sides with justice, Dean Cain’s makes a statement which is incredibly dehumanizing and spiteful. Actual people are being referred to as “worst of the worst.” Such is the empathy crisis. Donald Trump makes decisions based on his self-serving whims and the entire world directly or indirectly pays the price for it.
Trump, though, is not the sole being responsible for this moral decline. The apathy of the citizens, the common masses, and their complacency play a vital role in bringing forth the empathy crisis. American exceptionalism refers to the belief that the United States is unique and distinct from other nations, often with a sense of superiority or a special role in global affairs. One might argue that the nation of America is exceptional in setting themself apart as exceptionally cruel.
Online spaces are no longer safe
As mentioned earlier, the empathy crisis finds its victims through the medium of the internet. Twitter/X user @sweetlotusfish posted a picture of a bridge on July 3rd, alluding to the fact that they might commit suicide soon. This tweet followed a row of tweets about depression and suicidal ideation.
In any ideal situation, the internet would extend a helping hand to them. The response, though, was frankly horrifying.
An entire section of the internet gathered around to affirm the very reason why a transgender child decided to end their life. Transphobes rejoiced, made light of the situation and misgendered the victim.
Internet spaces are no stranger to transphobia. Recently, trans singer Ethel Cain found herself in the midst of a smear-campaign fuelled by hatred. The phenomenon of the empathy crisis is not restricted to a certain section of people. Closer home, the culture of Dark Humour amongst YouTubers border on the lines of exploitation.
Why the Empathy Crisis reflects badly
Lack of empathy is not just a psychological deficit, but holds social strength as well.
It makes light of dark situations, treats lives as expendables and unconsciously serves a hegemonic agenda which inevitably places a certain group of people as oppressors.
Fascism functions at the expense of the lives of the common people. Whites did not empathize with the Blacks–they were all but livestock. Nazis made sure to dehumanize the entire existence of Jews. Japanese soldiers treated Chinese people as experimental outlets. Through time and time again, the rise of fascism has begun with a moral decline; a crisis of empathy.
It is through small crevices that fascism seeps into our daily life, until it becomes parasitic, taking over the entire state of affairs. We must recognize this entity, and work together to expel it–With love and compassion. With empathy.
