1) Executive Summary
A growing body of research, including a recent Frontiers in Psychology study identifying a global decline in emotional intelligence between 2019 and 2024, points to a structural shift in how people relate, decide, and trust online. As brands intensify their use of AI-driven interactions, a paradox emerges: digital engagement is increasing while emotional literacy is eroding.
In this context, emotional intelligence (EI) is no longer a soft skill—it is becoming a core infrastructure layer of digital trust. Organizations capable of listening to and acting on emotional signals will lead the next competitive cycle. This is the strategic premise behind ConsentPlace, which positions itself as the Emotional Intelligence Layer of the Internet, restoring clarity, empathy, and connection in digital brand-user relationships.
2) Context: A Global Decline in Emotional Intelligence
The Frontiers in Psychology findings indicate a measurable reduction in emotional intelligence across populations, affecting empathy, self-regulation, and social awareness. This decline has profound consequences for digital communication, customer experience, and brand trust.
We refer to this systemic decline as an Emotional Recession:
a macro-environment in which emotional capacity diminishes faster than digital interactions increase.”
Just as economic recessions reduce the availability of financial capital, the Emotional Recession reduces the availability of emotional capital, making trust more scarce and more valuable.
3) Market Impact: Where the Emotional Gap Hurts Performance
Organizations are already experiencing the effects:
| Domain | Impact of Declining EI |
|---|---|
| Customer Experience | Reactive, transactional service; rising frustration and churn |
| Brand Trust | Lower tolerance for tone-deaf interactions; faster reputation damage |
| AI Adoption | Users resist systems that “do not understand them” |
| Talent & Leadership | Collaboration and feedback loops degrade |
| Loyalty Economics | Harder and more expensive to retain customers |
AI may automate communication, but only emotional intelligence sustains relationships.
4) Plutchik’s Emotional Wheel as a Diagnostic Framework
Psychologist Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions identifies eight primary emotions:
Joy, Trust, Fear, Surprise, Sadness, Disgust, Anger, Anticipation.
In declining-EI environments, brands increasingly fail to detect these signals:
| Emotion missed | Resulting business risk |
|---|---|
| Fear | Purchase hesitation; drop-off |
| Sadness | Reduced engagement; loss of loyalty |
| Anger | Viral reputational damage |
| Disgust | Brand exit; value destruction |
| Anticipation | Lost upsell / retention opportunities |
| Trust | Most valuable yet most fragile digital currency |
Emotions are not noise; they are predictive indicators of user intent, and they should be measured as such.
5) Strategic Shift: Emotion as a Data Layer
We are entering a market cycle in which emotion becomes:
- a signal layer in digital journeys,
- a segmentation dimension (beyond demographics & behavior),
- a loyalty engine where trust compounds,
- a defensible moat in categories facing AI commoditization.
The question for leaders is no longer:
“How do we capture more data?”
but rather:
“How do we interpret the emotional meaning of the data we already have?”
6) The ConsentPlace Approach: The Emotional Intelligence Layer of the Internet
ConsentPlace unifies:
| Component | Business Outcome |
|---|---|
| Conversational Intelligence | Never dead-end conversations; adaptive guidance |
| Emotional Intelligence | Emotional signal detection and meaning-making |
| Direct Brand-User Relationships (CustTech) | Trust-based, privacy-respectful value exchange |
Consent is no longer a checkbox.
It becomes a relationship contract powered by emotional understanding.
7) Boardroom Playbook: Actions for Leaders
Executives should prioritize:
1️⃣ Implement emotional signal monitoring in conversational touchpoints.
2️⃣ Redesign consent flows for empathy, clarity, and agency.
3️⃣ Integrate Plutchik-based emotional taxonomies into analytics and CX dashboards.
4️⃣ Shift KPIs from behavior → sentiment and trust.
5️⃣ Treat emotional intelligence as competitive infrastructure, not coaching content.
8) Conclusion: Competitive Advantage Shifts to Emotional Intelligence
The Emotional Recession changes market dynamics.
Brands that fail to understand emotions will lose trust.
Brands that learn to interpret and respond to emotional signals will own the next generation of customer relationships.
Emotional intelligence is no longer optional.
It is the missing layer of the Internet, and it is being built now.
ConsentPlace stands for this future.
Got questions?
This is a really fascinating read! It’s wild to think about how much value is being placed on understanding emotions in this increasingly digital world.