Virtual realities can make it harder for young people to feel empathy and build social skills. Here’s how that happens:
Isolation: Spending too much time in virtual worlds means less time interacting with friends and family. These real-life interactions are really important for learning social cues, like reading body language and understanding emotions.
Desensitization: When people see a lot of virtual violence, they might start to feel less and less affected by it. This can make it harder for them to be empathetic, which is the ability to understand how others are feeling.
Solutions:
Encourage a good balance with media. It’s important to mix virtual time with real-life interactions.
Talk about virtual experiences. Chatting about what they see and do online can help deepen understanding and strengthen emotional connections.
Virtual realities can make it harder for young people to feel empathy and build social skills. Here’s how that happens:
Isolation: Spending too much time in virtual worlds means less time interacting with friends and family. These real-life interactions are really important for learning social cues, like reading body language and understanding emotions.
Desensitization: When people see a lot of virtual violence, they might start to feel less and less affected by it. This can make it harder for them to be empathetic, which is the ability to understand how others are feeling.
Solutions:
Encourage a good balance with media. It’s important to mix virtual time with real-life interactions.
Talk about virtual experiences. Chatting about what they see and do online can help deepen understanding and strengthen emotional connections.