Virtual Reality as a Bridge to Empathy: A Case Study of the Gaza Time Tunnel VR Experience.

In an increasingly digitized world, immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) are often lauded as “empathy machines” capable of fostering prosocial attitudes toward distant social and political issues. However, such claims often outpace empirical evidence detailing the specific mechanisms through which VR operates, particularly for complex and polarized geopolitical topics. This study explores the effectiveness of a narrativedriven VR experience in fostering empathy for the Palestinian struggle. Analyzing mixed-methods survey data (N = 186) from participants, we investigate the relationship between prior issue familiarity and self-reported changes in empathy. We find a statistically significant positive correlation, suggesting the VR experience acts as an empathy amplifier, particularly for those already engaged with the topic. Furthermore, qualitative analysis reveals that zones featuring personal, emotionally resonant narratives, specifically the “Tragedy of Hind Rajab”, were overwhelmingly cited as the most impactful component of the experience. The study concludes by discussing the critical role of personal storytelling in the design of effective VR for social advocacy and highlights directions for future work in immersive media research and conflict education.

Virtual Reality, Empathy, Immersive Storytelling

1. Barreda-Ángeles, M., & Beck, P. (2021). Virtual reality storytelling as a double-edged sword: Immersive narrative and emotional response in the context of nonfiction 360° video. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 65(1), 64–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/03627551.2020.1803496 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Borah, P., Irom, B., Yoon Joo, L., Lee, D. K. L., M., D., Vishnevskaya, A., Yel, E., & Price, R. (2024). VR technology and humanitarian crisis: Political ideology and the intention to donate in the case of the Syrian refugee crisis. New Media & Society, 27(8), 4970–4994. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241247290 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Calvert, J., & Abadia, R. (2020). Impact of immersing university and high school students in educational linear narratives using virtual reality technology. Computers & Education, 159, 104005. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Dahdal, S., & Sayed, S. (2024). Engaging youth in history through immersive storytelling: A case study of the “Once Upon a Time in Palestine” XR documentary. Arab Media & Society, 37, 1–15. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Ferguson, W. (2024, April 24). VR can motivate people to donate to refugee crises regardless of politics. Washington State University Insider. https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2024/04/24/virtual-reality-canmotivate-people-to-donate-to-refugee-crises-regardless-of-politics/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Gorin, V. (2022). From empathy to shame: The use of virtual reality by humanitarian organisations. In B. L. Edgar, V. Gorin, & D. Martín-Moreno (Eds.), Making Humanitarian Crises: Emotions and Images in History (pp. 147–190). Palgrave Macmillan. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Hadjipanayi, C., Christofi, M., Banakou, D., & Michael-Grigoriou, D. (2024). Cultivating empathy through narratives in virtual reality: A review. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 28, 507–519. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Hasson, Y., Schori-Eyal, N., Landau, D., Hasler, B., Levy, J., Friedman, D., & Halperin, E. (2019). The enemy’s gaze: Immersive virtual reality environments enhance peace-promoting attitudes and emotions in violent intergroup conflicts. PLoS ONE, 14(9), e0222342. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Lauder, E. (2019). Virtually One: Using VR to Increase Empathy in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict (Undergraduate honors thesis). Duke University. https://dukspace.lib.duke.edu [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Robertson, A. (2016). The UN wants to see how far VR empathy will go. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/19/12023847/unvr-clouds-over-sidra-film-app-launch [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Sora-Domenjó, C. (2022). Disrupting the “empathy machine”: The power and perils of virtual reality in addressing social issues. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 814565. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. (2024, July 10). Shifting mindsets: Integrating virtual reality in conflict mediation and peacebuilding. United Nations. https://dppa.un.org/en/shifting-mindsets-integrating-virtual-reality-conflict-mediation-and-peacebuilding [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Smart Iot Device for Weather And Health
• Merlarchive: A Web-Based Academic Hub for UDM With AI-Powered Natural Language Processing
• Enhanced Social Network Security System: Integrating Biometric Authentication for Improved User Verification and Privacy Protection
• Smart Budget Allocation in Public Policy: A Data-Driven Approach for Equitable Resource Distribution
• Decision Support System for Faculty Selection, Promotion, and Reclassification Using Predictive Analytics