What Causes Apathy in Society?

Apathy is a direct by-product of fear, disappointment and neglect. It exists when people's values are not reflected, their desires are unfulfilled within society and they feel a sense of alienation from what is happening around them. It is difficult to feel involved and included if we do not feel a part of our social milieu, if we believe there is nothing in it for us and if we feel excluded from the outcomes. In such situations there is no feeling of attachment or association and so there is likely to be detachment in the form of an apathetic response to prevent further hurt or disappointment and to dampen expectations.

There has to be some kind of payoff for people to feel they have a stake in their situations, surroundings, or society. The payoff could be practical, physical, emotional or social, but there has to be something which makes it worthwhile for that person to participate. Today's world is changing so rapidly, especially for older folks, there is a general air of apathy through fear and apprehension. Many people feel on the periphery of life, excluded and unwanted. Much of what they cherished or which brought them to where they are now are no longer valued, respected or upheld. This has left those people without an anchor, feeling isolated, fearful and expendable in a morass of new technology and outdated customs.

When we fear and feel disconnected it is easy to be apathetic, to feel disjointed and on the sidelines. Apathy today is most obvious in the field of politics where many people believe they are not represented by politicians, that democracy isn't really working to their advantage, their wishes and feelings are being ignored and they are without a voice. That is reflected in the increasingly low turnout at elections and the disappointment in the politicians themselves. That might explain why Barack Obama is galvanising the young around him with his leadership, especially those who have been apathetic to the political process because they have felt excluded from it. It seems that they get a sense of emotional connection with Barack's vision and feel aligned with where he is heading.

A feeling of irrelevance breeds apathy and many people who cannot relate to what is happening in our modern world feel more comfortable simply being apathetic instead.