I think Turkle is right that our reliance on digital communication has had an impact on our abilities to empathize however, I don’t think empathy has been completely lost. I have conversations with people every day and we discuss our issues and actually listen to one another. But on the other hand, I find myself preoccupied at times when having face-to-face conversations, with the thought of being on my phone and other devices which does lead to inattention. Thus, a lack of empathy because I’m not giving the other person my full attention. Before devices were an ‘essential part of daily life,’ I found myself more invested in other people and their problems and now I just find the devices to be a distraction. I myself have put myself through a dopamine detox before (no devices or at least trying not to prioritize being on devices) and I found myself more willing to engage in conversations and more invested in other people overall.
