College Kids Demonstrate Less Empathy Than Previous Generations

Kids these days are not what they use to be. A new study reveals that college students of today are less empathetic than they were twenty to thirty years ago. Students today are more concerned about their own lives and how actions will affect them. The ability to recognize how an action, word or event may make another person feel is significantly lower than it was during the 1980s and 1990s.

The study was based on 72 studies involving 14,000 college kids in the United States. The studies were completed between 1979 and 2009. The turn of the century is when researchers notices a decreasing level of empathy. Surveys completed by the Generation Me students of today, resulted in a 40 percent drop in empathy levels. Many refer to today’s college students as narcissistic, competitive, self-centered and confident. The generation is also seen as one of the most educated thus driving the need to be better than their competition.

Researchers blame this lack of empathy on several factors. Social media and the video game revolution are the top two explanations. The constant exposure to violence in video games is being blamed for the numbing of the emotions. Social media has made it easier to be friends with a person without having any real verbal or physical contact, cutting out the personal interaction. Another factor may be the fast-paced world they were brought up in. Busy schedules often cut out any chance of meaningful interaction.

The study was presented at the annual Association for Psychological Science meeting.

http://www.techjackal.net/other/2010/05/29/college-kids-demonstrate-less-empathy-than-previous-generations/

College Kids Demonstrate Less Empathy Than Previous Generations

College Kids Demonstrate Less Empathy Than Previous Generations

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