First Day Podcast

In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Sara Konrath, Ph.D., a social psychology expert recognized for her research on empathy and its connection to philanthropic behavior. The conversation centers on recent findings from a study tracking empathy trends among Gen Z and Millennials. Initially, research from 1979 to 2009 revealed a concerning decline in empathy among young Americans, which was coupled with an increase in narcissism. However, new data shows a surprising "V-shaped" recovery in empathy starting around 2008, leaving researchers intrigued and searching for explanations. Dr. Konrath explores possible factors behind this unexpected rise in empathy, ruling out economic conditions and social media as primary causes. Despite the popular belief that social media contributes to declining empathy, the study suggests otherwise, showing an increase in empathy even as social media use grew. Dr. Konrath discusses the complex relationship between loneliness and emp