Rengganis Rizka Prasanti Being there for others through an online platform is not easy. However, especially in the middle of the ongoing pandemic, we may still rely more on online connection than face-to-face interaction.
As a Reyo, it’s crucial to understand how we can maximize the online platform we have to help people in need and listen to their stories. To do that, we have to understand what empathy is and how to show empathy virtually.
What is Empathy?
Empathy is understanding other people’s feelings and seeing things from their point of view. More than just a desire to help, empathy involves learning and understanding other people’s perspectives. With empathy, it becomes easier for us to connect and relate to others.
This makes empathy crucial for people whose work or responsibility involves helping others. By basing our actions on empathy, Reyos can identify the needs of others more easily, reducing the possibility of giving unneeded advice or adding burden instead of relieving them.
Types of Empathy
Studies have identified two different types of empathy, which are:
1. Cognitive Empathy
To put it simply, cognitive empathy is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. It involves taking in the perspective of another person and imagining yourself in their situation. When we practice cognitive empathy, we try to see a situation as if we’re the one experiencing it.
An example would be listening to a friend talking about how disappointed they feel about themselves after failing an exam because they were occupied with family issues. While you know that it wasn’t their fault, with cognitive empathy you can also understand that they may still feel sad and disappointed over this situation.
2. Emotional Empathy
While cognitive empathy talks about understanding, emotional empathy is about feeling what other people feel. When your friend is telling you about a sad story that they experienced, for example, you may feel yourself getting emotionally moved as well.
Altruistic people are usually motivated by emotional empathy when they help others. Since they have moved beyond just understanding to feeling what others are feeling, they work hard to alleviate the emotional burden of others.
Tips to Show Empathy Online
Both cognitive and emotional empathy is crucial for Reyos when listening to other people’s stories. However, feeling and showing empathy are two entirely different actions.
Showing your empathy can be especially challenging when using an online platform, for example through calls or online messaging. Without facial cues or non-verbal gestures, it’s tough to show that you’re listening and you understand what they’re telling you.
To make sure you can convey that you care and want to help, here are several tips for Reyos to show your empathy through an online platform.
1. Ask and clarify
Asking questions shows that you’re taking interest in their story and want to know more. Use open-ended questions to help them elaborate more on their story and get yourself to understand better the issues they’re currently going through.
Clarifying by paraphrasing the points they were telling you also helps you get a better perspective of their problem. Use paraphrasing sentences such as:
“So, by what you’re saying …”
“You were telling me that… , is that correct?”
“What I’m getting from your story is …”
to further clarify their points and prevent any misunderstandings when they ask for your advice.
2. Focus on the conversation
You may feel that since you’re not talking to them in person, it should be okay to multi-task, but it actually shows. When you don’t truly focus on the other person or try to do other tasks while listening, it will get harder for you to follow through with what they’re saying.
When talking to them, make sure you’re in a state where you can focus on listening to their story. Ideally, do your sessions in a relatively quiet room with minimum disturbances.
3. Use non-verbal cues whenever possible or appropriate
Showing how you feel through text is harder since you can’t show non-verbal cues through gestures or facial expressions. One thing you can try to use when talking to others through chat is by using emoticons or emojis.
Research by Nusrat and Huang (2021) shows that using emojis can help to convey emotions in text counseling. It’s especially useful to use emojis when sending short texts to show that you’re paying attention to what they’re saying and to emphasize your reaction.
Showing empathy virtually may be much more challenging than in face-to-face interaction. With the lack of cues to catch what others are feeling and to show how you’re feeling, it’s easier for miscommunication to happen when talking to others via text.
However, it’s still our responsibility as Reyo to convey our empathy and make people feel safe when talking to us about their problems.
Personally, how do you use online platforms to show your empathy towards others?
References:
Clarke, J. (2021, October 4). Cognitive vs. Emotional Empathy. Retrieved from Verywell Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/cognitive-and-emotional-empathy-4582389
Nusrat, F., & Huang, Y. (2021). Less Talking, More Empathy: How to use Emojis to Help People Feel Good.
Taylor, S. (2015, September 12). Understanding Empathy. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-darkness/201509/understanding-empathy
