Empathy Project

At Wattpad, we are committed to keeping our community safe and want to make sure that the stories being told on Wattpad do not contribute to real-world harm. 

As a community, we should work together to keep Wattpad safe and comfortable for everyone. The mission of this project is to inspire and empower our users to embrace empathy and compassion. 

We want you, our users, to help us stop the spread of hateful ideas and groups that hurt others, wherever you encounter them online. Wattpad is a place where people can feel safe to express their voices and be themselves.  We’ve put together some tips to get you started, because we know online content can be confusing. 

What is empathy?

Empathy is the ability to process someone else’s experience and feelings. Learning about empathy is important so that we can build safe communities and stronger friendships. We can also help protect each other from online harm if we are empathetic towards each other. 

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help build empathy for one another:

1. How would I feel if I were in someone else’s shoes?
2. How would I want my friends to support me?
3. Even if I don’t understand how someone feels, how can I help them feel better?

Think critically about what you read or see online: 

Always remember to think carefully about everything you see online. Even if your friends have shared a post or a story on Wattpad or another website, you should always do your own research to make sure it’s factual. 

Here are some questions you can ask yourself when you are learning about something new online:

1. Where did the writer or original poster get their information? If you aren’t sure, you should ask a teacher or a trusted adult, like a librarian, to help you find trustworthy research on the topic.  There are lots of great newspapers and resources you can find to help you learn! 
2. Is this writer trying to mislead me on purpose? Ask yourself if the writer of the material is trying to convince you to believe something harmful, even if it might be false.

Make sure the communities you join are positive and safe:  

Some hate groups target youth and teenagers. If someone is trying to recruit you to a community or group online, you should make sure they are not trying to harm you or others. If you believe a community on Wattpad intends to harass or harm others, please report them. 

Here are some questions you can ask yourself when you are thinking about joining a community or online group: 

1. Is the group kind and inclusive? It’s important to ensure that you are only joining safe spaces that will allow you and others to be exactly who you are.  
2. Are members of the group trying to impose harmful beliefs on me? Make sure that the groups you join don’t put down other people. 
3. Am I being isolated from my friends or family? Make sure that the groups you join allow you to spend time doing other things, and are not asking you to dismiss your friends and family.

Help stop the spread of hateful beliefs and ideas: 

No one should post or share anything that could harm others, especially if it targets someone for their race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. On Wattpad, users come from all around the world, and each of us benefits from having a diverse community to learn from. 

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Make sure your friends on Wattpad know that you are inclusive and empathetic by spreading kindness and friendship. If you see someone being bullied, you can reach out to the victim and remind them that you’re there for them. 
2. Report anything that breaks the Wattpad Code of Conduct. We want to help keep our community positive, and believe that everyone should have a safe space on Wattpad. 
3. Always remember that everyone deserves respect and compassion. Be kind to everyone, regardless of  their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or anything else about them that makes them who they are! 

Always take care of yourself: 

It’s important to make sure that if you see something online that upsets you, that you put steps in place to help yourself feel better. Remember, social media can be a lot of fun, but you should also spend time doing other things you love to do!

Here are some tips to keep in mind: 

1. If you see something that upsets you, you should see if it breaks the Wattpad Code of Conduct or the Wattpad Content Guidelines. If it does, you should report it to us so we can help you. 
2. Sometimes it can help to take a break if something you see online hurts your feelings. It might be a great opportunity to spend time with people you care about, or take part in another activity offline! 
3. Remember that you are important. No matter what someone else shares or posts, you deserve to be treated with respect and compassion.