Empathy in digital communication

Simonič, Barbara (author)

Empathy is a fundamental human ability that combines perception, understanding and emotional response to other people’s experiences. As a complex phenomenon, it encompasses both affective and cognitive components and plays a key role in ethical behaviour, social connectedness, prosocial behaviour and building interpersonal rela tionships. Today’s digital communication, which is increasingly replacing face-to-face contact, is significantly changing the way empathy is expressed and raises questions about the possibility of maintaining emotional authenticity in technologically mediat ed environments. In digital communication, empathy is mostly conveyed through text messages, emoticons (emojis) and other symbolic expressions, while physical presence and non-verbal cues are largely absent. This affects the relationship between cogni tive and affective empathy and poses challenges for the understanding, perception and expression of emotions. Digital empathy theory emphasises that technology does not preclude empathy, but requires new approaches that include conscious emotional responsiveness, developed communication sensitivity and a supportive environment. The article analyses the key differences between traditional and digital empathy, highlighting the influence of communication channels, time dynamics, technological mediations and user practises. Given the tendencies towards depersonalisation, frag mentation and asynchrony in digital communication, it highlights the importance of developing strategies to maintain empathic skills as a fundamental element of quality interpersonal connection in the digital age.

• Language: English
• Keywords: empathy, digital communication, digital empathy, intersubjectivity, embodiment
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 16.04.2026
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 1125-1140
• Numbering: [God.] 95, [br.] 5
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-181961
• UDC: 159.913:004
• ISSN on article: 1848-9648
• DOI: 10.53745/bs.95.5.11
• COBISS.SI-ID: 275885059
• Publication date in RUL: 21.04.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Bogoslovska smotra
• Shortened title: Bogosl. smotra
• Publisher: Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta
• ISSN: 1848-9648
• COBISS.SI-ID: 8084570

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Croatian
• Title: Empatija u digitalnoj komunikaciji

Abstract

Empatija je temeljna ljudska sposobnost koja obuhvaća percepciju, razumijevanje i emocionalno reagiranje na iskustva drugih. Ona kao složen fenomen uključuje afek tivnu i kognitivnu komponentu te ima ključnu ulogu u etičkom ponašanju, društve noj povezanosti, prosocijalnom djelovanju i izgradnji međuljudskih odnosa. Suvre mena digitalna komunikacija, koja sve više zamjenjuje izravan kontakt licem u lice, značajno mijenja načine izražavanja empatije i otvara pitanja o mogućnosti očuvanja emocionalne autentičnosti u tehnološki posredovanim okruženjima. U digitalnoj komunikaciji empatija se najčešće prenosi putem tekstualnih poruka, emojija i drugih simboličkih izraza, dok su fizička prisutnost i neverbalni znakovi u velikoj mjeri odsutni. To utječe na odnos između kognitivne i afektivne empatije te predstavlja izazov za razumijevanje, percipiranje i izražavanje emocija. Teorija di gitalne empatije naglašava da tehnologija ne isključuje empatiju, već zahtijeva nove pristupe koji uključuju svjesnu emocionalnu osjetljivost, razvijenu komunikacijsku kompetenciju i podržavajuće okruženje. U članku se analiziraju ključne razlike između tradicionalne i digitalne empatije, s naglaskom na utjecaj komunikacijskih kanala, vremenske dinamike, tehnološkog po sredovanja i korisničkih praksi. S obzirom na tendencije depersonalizacije, fragmen tacije i asinkronosti u digitalnoj komunikaciji, ističe se važnost razvoja strategija za očuvanje empatičkih sposobnosti kao temeljnog elementa kvalitetne međuljudske po vezanosti u digitalnom dobu.

• Keywords: empatija, digitalna komunikacija, digitalna empatija, čustvena inteligenca, intersubjektivnost

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: J6-60105-2025
• Name: Teologija in digitalizacija: antropološki in etični izzivi