Abstract
Concerns about the effects of social media or social networking site (SNS) use on prosocial development are increasing. The aim of the current study is to meta-analytically summarize the research to date (k = 5) about the relationship between general SNS use and two components of empathy (i.e., empathic concern and perspective-taking). Random effects meta-analyses showed that SNS use was significantly and positively related to affective empathy though only marginally related to cognitive empathy. These effects were generally small in size and do not establish causality. Future research should explore how specific behaviors are related to different forms of empathy.
Highlights
Understanding how individuals relate to and empathize with one another is foundational to the scientific study of social development
Q = 36.61, and cognitive empathy, Q = 31.75, were both above the critical value for a χ2 (4) = 9.488 when α = 0.05 and we conclude that the studies were not homogenous and include random effects analyses
Social networking use was positively related to affective empathy, Mr = 0.07, 95% CI [0.04, 0.10], Z = 4.00, p < 0.01
Summary
Understanding how individuals relate to and empathize with one another is foundational to the scientific study of social development. The ability to understand the emotions of others (the cognitive component of perspective-taking) and share in them (the affective component of empathic concern), is believed to underlie the human capacity to bond with offspring in parent-child attachment and cooperate with group members in ways that progress societies [1] [2]. This relational construct is believed to be the “foundation of human social experience” [3] and is linked to outcomes at the individual and societal level.
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