I think we have been going off the rails for a while now. Nevermind the news stories, just scroll down to the comments section of those stories and that will give you a pretty good idea of the mindset we are dealing with these days. People really let their true colors show when they are hiding behind a keyboard and a screen. I think we need more empathy. People just need to take a moment and put themselves in the other person's shoes and they might understand some of these complex situations a little better.
I think, on the individual level, people are so distracted that they struggle to find that empathy you mention, can't connect as well with others and fail to see the truly important things as important... consumerism at its worst. Multiply that by seven billion and we have a planet that's on the wrong track.
For sure!