Serena Ying Soh

Abstract Young adults face a rising tide of mental illness and loneliness. We propose that an overlooked barrier for social connection is how people perceive each other’s empathy. Here, our longitudinal study of an undergraduate student community (N = 5,192) reveals that undergraduates who perceive their peers as empathic report better current and future well-being. Yet we document an ‘empathy perception gap’: people systematically see others as less empathic than others see themselves.

1 INTRODUCTION Digital media is a core feature of young people's daily lives (Auxier & Anderson, 2021; Vogels et al., 2022). Rates of digital media use differ by country and demographic characteristics, but people in their teens and twenties continue to be the largest group using digital media (e.g., internet, smartphones, social media; Ghai et al., 2022; Silver, 2019).

As the heat wave continues across the country, here are a few traditional drinks that Koreans typically turn to in summer. 1. Misutgaru At first glance, misutgaru, a Korean multigrain powder, just seems like a bland substance with a lifeless beige color. But contrary to its appearance, the mixture of roasted and ground grains is well-known for its nutritional benefits and addictive, nutty taste. Koreans often make misutgaru shakes at home by adding water or milk, ice and honey.