For

It is the sad, undeniable truth. Understanding and empathy are indeed becoming a thing of the past.

People in the modern society are so busy dealing with their own problems that they don't have the patience or time to sympathize with other fellow beings. The pressure of work has made them insensitive and mechanical. They only care about meeting their own needs above all others and seldom stop to offer an empathetic ear to the sorrows and shortcomings of others.

There are several people like Iona who face this problem daily and sink into further depression from lack of emotional support.

Against

While this statement is the best way to describe modern society, we cannot deny that there are still some people who care about the feelings of others and try their best to support them.

Family and close friends are the best examples of such people. Empathy is one of the social abilities that show our dependency on each other for emotional and psychological support.

It is important to have empathy because it brings people together and strengthens the bonds between people.