The rise of online communication through smartphones and the Internet has raised concerns about its potential negative impact on empathic capacities. Some argue that the medium of text and emojis is unfit for effective communication, perhaps leading to Emotional Self-Alienation (ESA). In this essay, I explore the concept of ESA in the realm of online sociality and how it characterizes one’s relation to their emotions.
Spoiler Alert:
While some tendencies of common Internet usage may contribute to emotional estrangement, the Internet itself is not solely responsible for decreased empathy. The medium of online communication can still be used for empathic encounters, and it is important to understand the complexities of emotional self-alienation in the realm of online sociality.
Course:
Psychology, Essay for ‘Situated Affectivity’ taught by Achim Stephan. ST22
Loading...
Reload document 
Open in new tab 
Jakob Lohkamp
“I am eager to understand the broader picture of affectivity, how we regulate and experience emotions. The increase in technological devices by which we can do that, led to a lot of people arguing there is a decrease in empathic capacities, which I did not buy fully. I wondered what alternative explanations could be out there and found the concept of emotional alienation. I was familiar with the concept of alienation from capitalist critiques but had not encountered it in this context. To me, extending the scope of it to emotions as Thomas Szanto and Ian Burkitt did, seemed fitting as well as more informative than blaming technological means for the status quo.”
