Studies show that our ability to empathise has greatly diminished over the last 30 years. It’s due in part to the uptake of smartphones and social media – we’re all too busy thinking about ourselves. But while it might be part of the problem, could technology also be used to make us more empathetic?

When tragedies happen on the other side of the world, it's easy for people to switch off from the reality of the situation, since it's not happening to them. And this was evident in the initial response to the Syrian refugee crisis. But an ad by Amnesty International is bringing it to life.

Europe is experiencing a refugee crisis, and it’s fuelling some alarmingly hostile responses. But not everyone is freaking out. A group of German citizens have gotten together to design a website that connects asylum seekers with residents offering up temporary accommodation.

Germany is the second most popular immigration destination in the world. But in 2015, four times as many asylum seekers arrived as the year before. As the country struggles to manage this influx, the population itself is contributing more time and money to those in need.