> I'm wondering if altruism is in decline

Altruism and empathy, by name, are targets of derogation by a major political movement in the US, at least. So, yeah, absolutely.

> I sometimes even get the feeling that altruism is seen as a weakness these days.

This is fairly explicitly the case, yes.

I don't think so, but people are so distracted, by their phones, that they don't notice that other might need help.

There's also two or three generations of people now who are absolutely terrified of talking to others, so you have to exhibit so level of distress for them to act.

Generally though, I feel like people want to help strangers, and social media makes that easier to do. We have a local organisation that helps those less fortunate, and last year they wrote on Facebook a few days before Christmas that they had five familie (I think if was five), who hadn't been able to get help elsewhere and if people had food, or money they could spare. Took them just a few hours to ensure a nice Christmas for those families. Without social media, we wouldn't have known, and it basically only Facebook that can reach so many generous people in such a short time.

On the institutional level there's grounds to believe it unfortunately (less welfare support, more military etc) Was thinking about the term "suicidal empathy" that some politicians have been bringing up lately (wrt migration policy). It's like a new derogatory jargon.

IMO it that it's harder to notice opportunities to help when you're glued to your phone 24/7

People seem to be more helpful to strangers in smaller communities, where there are fewer other people who could render aid, and where the consequences are perhaps more dire.

In a big city, meh, there's always someone else who could do it.