When US organization Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development convened over 100 global experts (scholars, educators, care providers, and leaders from youth- and family-serving organizations) for its invitation-only retreat—Character Matters: Values and Resilience in the Digital Age— it underscored a critical truth: in a rapidly evolving digital world, empathy is not optional. It is foundational.
Mary Gordon’s participation brought a vital perspective that will also be captured in a public 4-part webinar series to be released in Fall 2026. Grounded in decades of evidence, empathy must be intentionally nurtured not only in children, but in the systems, relationships, and environments that shape them.
Empathy Begins in Relationship—Especially in a Digital Age
A central theme of the retreat was clear: children develop values through relationships, not screens.
Mary emphasized that empathy is not taught – it is caught. Children experience through attuned human connection. This has profound implications today, particularly as:
- Technology competes for attention between parents and children
- A generation raised on devices is now becoming parents themselves
- Early relational moments—the building blocks of empathy—are increasingly disrupted
Roots of Empathy and Seeds of Empathy directly respond to this challenge. They not only develop empathy in children, but also model for educators and caregivers how to:
- Be fully present in relationships
- Practice empathic listening without assumptions, without judgment
- Help children name and understand emotions, and develop empathy through reflection and practice
The message is simple but urgent: children need human connection to develop empathy—and adults need support to model and provide it.
The Double-Edged Nature of Digital Technology
The retreat also highlighted a more nuanced reality: digital environments are not inherently harmful—but they are not neutral.
- Technology can expand empathy by exposing children to diverse perspectives and experiences
- But it can also undermine empathy, particularly when design prioritizes engagement over well-being
Many digital platforms are intentionally built to:
- Maximize attention through features like endless scrolling
- Reinforce impulse over self-regulation
- Enable interactions that lack real-time emotional feedback—making it harder for children to understand the impact of their actions
As discussed, this can create a “perfect storm” where empathy is diminished rather than strengthened. Mary was clear in her guidance:
- Children 18 months and younger should have no exposure to screens
- When media is introduced, it should be shared with a caregiver, who helps interpret and humanize the experience
This is where Roots of Empathy’s approach is especially relevant—centering relationship, emotional literacy, and real human interaction as the foundation for healthy development.
Reclaiming What We Value: From Achievement to Caring
Another powerful thread that Mary sewed in the retreat was the need to rebalance what we prioritize for children.
In a culture that often emphasizes achievement and competition, empathy can be sidelined. Yet the development of intrinsic motivation and intrinsic pride—rather than external validation—is essential for moral and emotional growth.
Roots of Empathy reinforces this by helping children:
- Understand their own feelings and identity
- Develop intrinsic motivation, rather than becoming dependent on praise or comparison
- Expand their circle of care to include others—especially those who are different from them
This shift—from performance to purpose, from competition to connection—is central to building caring, peaceful, and civil societies.
Scaling Impact Through the Empathy Movement
Roots of Empathy:
- Develops empathy directly in children through classroom programs
- Engages global leaders, researchers, and institutions to embed empathy into policies, practices, and design
Because when empathy shapes not only individuals—but the environments around them—the impact is deeper and more enduring
Child by Child—and System by System
- Building empathy in children, and
- Shaping the world those children grow up in
In a digital age that is redefining how children connect, learn, and see themselves, this work has never been more urgent.
This is how we change the world—child by child, and system by system.