How Self-Other Overlap Shapes Online Altruism in Adolescents: The Role of Empathy and Moral Identity

This study has discovered the internal mechanism by which self-other overlap affects online altruistic behavior, demonstrating that empathy and moral identity play a chain mediating role in this process. This finding can guide people to view the impact of network development more dialectically, calling for a focus on how to leverage the positive effects of the internet rather than simply blaming its negative impacts. It also provides new theoretical basis for guiding adolescents on how to use the internet healthily, contributing to the construction of a more harmonious online environment.