You make the implication that the Internet is not inclusive to real life.
But I heard about this through the Internet. And there are no signs around me other than the news (which really is just a proxy to the Internet and vice versa). How could I care for something that isn't present in my real life?
I think the internet is a tremendous tool and has its uses, but shouldn't be confused with the actual outside world, where the things happen that we talk about online. Not to say things don't happen online, like internet bullying, but again those issues stem from problems outside the computer.
It's tough, no doubt, to care about something that doesn't influence you directly. And that problem is showing itself all over the country right now. I think it's critically important to try and connect with these people, our fellow humans around the world, because at some point the things happening to them could happen to you.