A Study of Intergenerational Empathy Based on a Survey of Text Communication Characteristics

Abstract

The development of ICT and smart devices has made communication between people more online centric. However, online communication, which has been activated more than face-to-face communication due to COVID-19, has many problems. This study aims to clarify the differences in perceptions and characteristics between older and younger generations to prevent the deterioration of the relationship between the younger generations and the older generation in their 40s or older due to differences in perceptions of communication due to generational differences, and to prevent the decline in empathy caused by the lack of understanding of younger words and culture by the older generation. We focused on the problem that “words complemented by non-verbal elements such as facial expressions and hand gestures in face-to-face communication are difficult to be understood by others online due to text-only communication,” and that “different generations have different perceptions of text communication.” We have conducted a survey of both, capturing changes in communication over time and the characteristics of each generation, and found that these problems occur especially in public environments where hierarchical relationships are emphasized, such as workplaces and schools. We believe that we can improve online communication tools that allow both parties to express themselves without worrying about the other party and to continue a fast-paced conversation online, and that we can utilize the appropriate use of non-verbal expressions to avoid ambiguity in language to increase empathy.