By Salome Juma

Having worked for years in communication, I’ve seen how technology both connects and isolates us. I’ve also seen how, when used with awareness, it can awaken empathy in ways our ancestors never imagined. This paradox, between closeness and disconnection, is the heartbeat of our digital age.

We live in the most connected time in history, yet loneliness has become an epidemic. We can send a message across the world in seconds, but often struggle to look someone in the eye across a table. The irony of our era is that we have mastered communication but forgotten connection.

The Illusion of Connection

Social media was supposed to bring us closer. Instead, it often turns empathy into performance. A post about tragedy garners thousands of reactions, but how many of those translate into real compassion? How many people check in privately, donate quietly, or take meaningful action?

We’ve learned to express concern with emojis instead of emotion. To “like” pain instead of listening to it. It’s not that we don’t care; it’s that our digital habits have reprogrammed how we show care. Technology has made us fluent in instant responses but clumsy in emotional presence.

When Screens Become Mirrors

And yet, there’s another side to this story. Technology, when used consciously, can amplify empathy rather than diminish it. Think of the thousands of support groups online for grief, addiction, illness, and trauma, spaces where people who have never met find solace in shared vulnerability. Or the animal rescue pages, mental health forums, and fundraising campaigns that connect strangers through compassion.

Behind every username is a story. Behind every message is a heartbeat.

The screen, it turns out, can be a mirror, showing us not just who we are, but who we could be if we used our digital tools with intention.

The Psychology of Digital Distance

Researchers call it “digital empathy”, the ability to understand and respond to others’ emotions through technology. It’s what happens when a teacher checks in on a struggling student via text, or when a friend sends a voice note instead of a generic one, “hope you’re okay.”

Interestingly, studies suggest that people who express empathy online tend to strengthen their real-world relationships too. Caring digitally doesn’t replace human warmth; it can actually reinforce it when paired with authenticity.

Relearning How to Care

The truth is, technology itself isn’t cold; we are when we forget to use it with heart.
Every message, every post, every click is an opportunity to care differently.

You can:

• Choose to comment with sincerity, not just emojis.
• Share stories that uplift rather than divide.
• Use your platform to highlight voices that go unheard.
• Pause before posting, asking, “Does this add kindness to the world?”

Empathy doesn’t vanish in digital spaces; it adapts. The challenge is remembering that behind every pixel is a person.

Technology as a Tool for Healing

During the pandemic, many people discovered that technology could be a lifeline. Virtual therapy, video calls, and online communities became emotional anchors.
It reminded us that compassion doesn’t require proximity; it requires presence.

In one sense, the digital world gave us a second chance at connection. It allowed us to listen without judgment, to share without fear, and to comfort without words.

The Human Heart Behind the Machine

Artificial intelligence, social networks, and digital communication are reshaping the way we experience empathy. But no algorithm can replace the human instinct to care. Technology will keep evolving, but so must we. It’s not about rejecting the digital space, it’s about infusing it with humanity. Because the real revolution isn’t technological; it’s emotional.

Closing Reflection

So, can technology teach us to care again?
Maybe not on its own. But it can remind us that empathy, at its core, is a choice, a conscious decision to see, listen, and understand, even through a screen.

The world doesn’t need more connections. It needs better ones.
And maybe, just maybe, if we use technology not just to talk, but to listen, we might rediscover the very thing we’ve been scrolling for all along: each other.