Damn Internet You Scary

Under what umbrella am I writing this post on? What are you reading this from? The Internet. While "What, Me Care? Young Are Less Empathetic" makes some very good points about the severe drop in empathy in American culture, there is one facet they completely leave out.

On the Internet, I can type, blog, and vlog anything I want. I might get a raft of (insert naughty word here) for it, but I can say it none the less. In the 1980's, in which the studies mentioned were taken, the internet was not live. People had to say things face to face. Which means, if you had something to say that lacked empathy, you would have to say it to another person....five feet away. This would cause backlash, social or physical. 

Now, as I already stated, I can say whatever I want on here. And so can the American people. Now, if you have something to say that lacks empathy, you can post it right on here. No backlash, social or physical. 

My point here is that the "surprising" lack of empathy exerted by this generation is not so "surprising". This lack of empathy has always been there, it just has not been out spoken.Now that there is an outlet, it has shown itself to the world, in all its ugliness.

My opinion is not alone, the issue of the Internet's role as a drainage pipe for people's angry thoughts has been talked about to no end. The "American Thinker" sums up the moral decline of our nation, and attributes it to the Internet. The United States is not alone, Ima Wowser writes of Australia's youth going through a similar experience in this article.

In short, the Internet is a dark, scary place, that had proceeded to suck the empathy out of our current generation.