Self-Regulation, Empathy, and Compassion: Toward Developing Antiracist Digital Citizenship

• In Event: Critical Approaches to Democratic Education

Abstract

Social media and the internet have spurred an alarming number of extremist groups that promote white supremacy, hatred, hostility, and violence.To counter this narrative, we offer an anti-racist digital citizenship framework in social studies. This illustrates a critical triad of self-regulation, empathy, and compassion. Self-regulation is the ability to develop cognitive control of emotional reactivity to facilitate self-directed change. Empathy is the understanding of another person’s emotional state and the projection of oneself into the other’s situation. Compassion is taking mindful action to alleviate the struggles and sufferings of others.

Authors

• Eric Claravall, California State University - Sacramento

• Kelsey Evans-Amalu, Georgia Southwestern State University