In the wake of the critically acclaimed Netflix TV series ‘Adolescence’, which explores the murder of a young girl by 13-year-old Jamie Miller, Tánaiste Simon Harris has stated that it should be compulsory viewing for all secondary schools. The four-part series has started a productive conversation about social media and ‘the alarming trend’ of toxic masculinity online. The Galway Pulse spoke to Dr Bernadine Brady, sociology professor at the University of Galway and senior researcher with the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, to further understand the impact of online social media and how it can potentially act as a barrier to empathy for young people.
‘Do we want an adult-centric, moral panic discourse, or do we want an approach with a child-centred, real-world perspective?’ is a central question for Dr Brady. Her studies have included young people as both researchers and participants, ‘I think we really need their perspectives on the important questions that need to be answered as well as their participation in research.’ With this in mind, Dr. Brady and her colleagues have found that there are both positive and negative impacts to social media.
First and foremost, ‘social media is important as a form of connection for young people’ and any meaningful social connection is really helpful for empathy, according to Dr. Brady. She argues that ‘technology is neither good nor bad in itself; it depends on how you use it.’ She advocates for how social media can be a positive outlet, whether it is used for communicating with friends or as a platform for creativity. Before weighing too harsh a judgement on the impacts of social media, Dr. Brady encourages the consideration of modern contexts and ‘The Digital Age’ in which children and young people are growing up. She cautions against research that ‘sets out to find problems’ and states that we need to take a balanced approach, ‘allowing children and young people to grow up in a healthy way that’s appropriate to their time’.
With this in mind, there are some significant social challenges posed by technology and online culture. The potential for anonymity poses risks and acts as a considerable obstacle to empathetic behaviour in young people: ‘If you’re anonymous and physically distanced, you tend to care about people a lot less.’ Dr Brady highlights the importance of finding a balance between online anonymity and the right to privacy in order to foster healthier online communities.
Additionally, the excess amounts of online content that young people are exposed to can be cause for alarm, according to Dr Bernadine Brady. She warns against the concept of ‘empathy fatigue’ as young people increasingly engage with digital spaces. This emotional exhaustion can be brought on by an online culture which provides access to tragedy on both global and personal levels. She acknowledges how ‘we see so many deserving causes online and you can’t possibly feel empathy for every single person you see, so you become a bit robotic’. This process of desensitisation indicates how we should be mindful of ‘global corporations and online platforms taking over the socialisation process’.
Although technology presents these concerns, Dr Brady has faith in the young people of Ireland and their digital literacy. She argues against the ‘tendency to construct children as passive when it comes to social media’. She has trust in children’s ability to critically evaluate content and maintain empathetic attitudes in the face of the digital age, but her work is dedicated to furthering this skill. As part of her role with the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, she has been involved in developing an ‘Activating Social Empathy’ module for SPHE classes. The module was adopted by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in 2023 and is now being taught in secondary schools across Ireland.