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First Coined In 2016 Virtual Empathy trend icon

Virtual Empathy

(Originally curated 2014) Immersive experiences delivered through technology and personal interactions increase empathy by helping people see the world through foreign and unfamiliar eyes.

This trend was curated in the 2016 and 2018 editions of the Non-Obvious Trend Report.

Download The Full 2016 Report Free ↓ Read A Book Excerpt
The 2016 Non-Obvious Trend Report, where Virtual Empathy was first coined

First published in the 2016 Non-Obvious Trend Report →

Trend Longevity Rating

A Graded A in 2026 ·
an exceptional prediction that grew more true over time

How this trend held up

This trend has broadened beyond virtual reality technology to include examples of installations, art projects, and live experiences that offer people ways to feel more empathy.

Every past trend prediction is re-reviewed and graded with a Trend Longevity Rating, measuring how much each originally curated trend still matters years later.

Where It Led

This trend evolved into a megatrend.

In 2020, Virtual Empathy was identified as one of the past trends that evolved into the megatrend Human Mode: Tired of technology that isolates us from one another, people seek out and place greater value on physical, authentic and “unperfect” experiences designed with empathy and delivered by humans.

Explore The Human Mode Megatrend →

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Part of the non-obvious
trend collection.

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