The exponential use of technology and its accessibility to young children is creating an epidemic, but not one where a virus is transmitted through the air like COVID-19. Instead this “virus” is transmitted through screens. In the chapter “I share, Therefore I Am” from her book Reclaiming Conversations, Sherry Turkle shares Louis C.K.’s thought that when a child “look[s] at a kid and they go, ‘You’re fat.’ And they see the kid’s face scrunch up and they go, ‘Ooh, that doesn’t feel good to make a person do that’” they gain an understanding of that person’s emotions and learn to be kinder going forward (Turkle 59). However, when people communicate online, it is harder to read the other person’s feelings. This point caused me to question how much technology is hindering our ability to be empathetic. It seems children aren’t intentionally using technology to their advantage to bully each other; rather they are putting people down without even knowing the toll their comments take on the receiver. The increase of communication online has created a wall preventing children from seeing the reactions to the things they say to each other. The lack of face-to-face interaction prevents us from paying attention to a person’s tone of voice, body language, or expression, all critical things we need to see to truly understand and connect with them. I’m starting to think that technology isn’t making children ruder or meaner. Instead technology is almost making them numb to others’ feelings. Therefore, C.K.’s words make me wonder how we can teach empathy in a world that has become so technology-focused. Are we too far gone?