Empathy involves feeling concern for others and imagining their perspectives (Davis, 1983). It is associated with more prosocial behavior and less aggression (Konrath & Grynberg, 2013). Much research finds that empathy can be taught and learned from others (e.g. Feshbach et al, 1984; Feshbach & Konrad, 2001; Kremer & Dietzen, 1991; Warner, 1984). Yet what is the role of new mobile technology on empathy? There has been limited research, but some work has found that empathy may be impaired by the presence of mobile phones (Abraham et al, 2012; Przybylski & Weinstein, 2013). Is it possible to build empathy with the very same technology that may at times erode it?
This talk describes two different projects that aim to cultivate empathy in youth using mobile phones. First, we conducted two randomized control trials of our SMS program called Text2Connect (Konrath et al, 2015), and found that it leads to increased prosocial motives and behaviors. Second, a randomized control trial of our smartphone app, Random App of Kindness (RAKi), found that playing RAKi leads to more compassionate feelings and more prosocial behavior. Taken together, preliminary evidence suggests that it is possible to affect young people’s empathy-related outcomes using mobile-based interventions.