Empathy and Community

Introduction The video opens with the words “Digital Citizenship” appearing on the screen. The narrator begins by asking, “What does it mean to be a digital citizen?”. This is followed by the on-screen title “Empathy and Community” as the narrator explains that a key part of digital citizenship is remembering that real people exist on the other side of our screens.

The Challenge of Online Communication The scene shifts to show two people tapping on their smartphones. Although they are facing each other, they are looking down at their devices and do not make eye contact. The narrator points out that online communication is difficult because we often cannot see or hear the people we are talking to.

Online Empathy Tips The text “Online empathy tips:” appears as the narrator emphasizes the need to take extra steps to be empathetic.

• Tip 1: Listen to Your Body The screen displays the text “Watch how you’re feeling” next to a graphic of an EKG line speeding up, representing a racing heart. The narrator asks viewers to check for physical signs of stress, such as a fast heartbeat, holding your breath, or tense muscles.
• Tip 2: Take a Moment As the screen reads “Take a break before you respond,” a person is shown looking at their phone with a stressed expression. They then set the phone down and close their eyes while the narrator advises taking a deep breath and stepping away from the screen before reacting.
• Tip 3: Face-to-Face Resolution The text “Work it out face to face” appears. The two people from the beginning are shown again, but this time they are looking at each other with word balloons appearing over their heads as they talk through their issues in person.
• Tip 4: Use Your Imagination For interactions with people you don’t know personally, the screen says “Imagine they’re next to you”. A person is shown looking at their phone, and a thought balloon appears beside them containing the person they are communicating with, illustrating the narrator’s advice to imagine them sitting right next to you.
• Tip 5: Seek Healthy Support The screen warns “Don’t have your friends back you up”. A close-up shows a person looking at their phone while angry emojis and punctuation marks float above the device. The narrator explains that bringing friends into a conflict can make things worse. The message then changes to “Do talk about how you’re feeling” as the same person is shown speaking to a new, supportive person. A word balloon over their head contains various emojis and punctuation marks representing a wide range of emotions.

Conclusion The video concludes with the final tip: “Digital citizenship tip: Things that happen online can have a real impact”. The narrator reminds the audience that even though an interaction happens online, the hurt it can cause is real.