Why Story Telling Will Save the World

The current geopolitical climate in the United States is driving a divisive nature among its citizens. And although technology has been used for good, it has also become a medium for spreading hatred throughout the country at a faster rate than ever before. In my opinion, the two root causes for why and how this hatred and divisiveness has been perpetuated and fostered are apathy and lack of empathy.

The rise of apathy in society has increased the significance and influence of media outlets, because people do not seek out knowledge or its validity. Instead, people are reactionary to superficial understanding of current events on the basis of headlines, for example. As a result, this newly created distance between people and their connection to current events makes empathy require a proactive effort.

One of the most controversial issues in the United States today is immigration. This issue has received a heightened level of publicity due to radical policy practices such as detainment centers and separation of parents and children. I believe that if we had the opportunity to share our stories with each other, we would be able to understand each other better. But, getting to know each other on a deeper level than our social media presence can be difficult. And, we grow more and more distant each day with our use of technology. Yet, throughout our everyday lives we are in close proximity with each other.

As a result, I am using my Start-Up Studio course at Cornell Tech to attempt to resolve this issue. My goal is to increase empathy in the world by developing a way for people to share their stories. It is important that this method be interactive for the user. Additionally, it’s also important that I incorporate phone use into the storytelling experience. I have observed the current “story-telling” mediums including museum exhibits, documentaries, and classrooms. What I’ve found is that the way that we share information is outdated; the receiver is more drawn to their mobile phones than the curated content being shared with them. My goal is to marry the two; to have individuals use their personal technology to interact with the story being shared with them. As a graduate student, I see how our differences — however small they may be — create divides between people. Hopefully, this story telling experience will help us see ourselves in each other’s shoes and lower the divides between us.

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