If you thought English was your first language, think again. Researchers argue that the first sense we acquire, and the basis of our communication, is touch. In today’s world, physical contact is dwindling. Specifically in college, a majority of students rely on social media to carry out their communication. Technology may be responsible for perpetuating a culture that places emphasis on talking through our screens rather than face-to-face, yet this does not explain our generation’s lack of familiarity with the concept of intimacy. Can we blame the hookup culture? Reliance on technology? A combination of these factors have come together to create the gap where physical intimacy used to be.
Touch has been an integral part of the social system since the prehistoric age. When we think about it, we are all in this world today as a result of physical contact. The science behind human touch emphasizes its importance in releasing hormones and aiding in the growth of the mind and body in a variety of ways. In fact, one study found that premature infants who were massaged for 15 minutes, three times a day, gained weight faster than infants who were not touched. Additionally, premature babies who received physical contact from mothers were more likely to resume growth at a normal rate.
On the same note, touch deprivation can have negative consequences on one’s health. The infamous Harry Harlow study is a testament to attachment, insisting that a lack of physical contact can lead to insecure attachment, social impairment and aggressive behavior. An absence of physical contact even impairs infants, both psychologically and physically. So with today’s intimacy gap, how do we meet our physical and emotional needs?
Recently, more and more jobs involving human companionship have been receiving attention in the news. One man by the name of Chuck McCarthy is Los Angeles’s first “people walker.” He charges $7 per mile to walk, talk and listen. He advertises for his business by asking questions like, “are you scared to walk alone at night?” and “do you hate walking alone?” According to McCarthy, his walking business was in such high demand that he hired employees to people walk on the streets of LA.
Another non-traditional profession is the “professional cuddler.” Kan Seidel lives in New York City and charges $80 per hour of his cuddle therapy, which he calls “alternative touch”. He creates a health oasis in his apartment, filling the room with live plants to bring in fresh oxygen and create a comfortable atmosphere. Despite this rare profession, Seidel is not the only professional cuddler; many individuals are taking on this line of work all over to embrace the cuddling trend. One video even shows a married woman who seeks out a professional cuddler with permission of her husband, to satisfy her need for human contact.
What is it about our generation that has led to the creation of these non-traditional professions? The surplus of intimacy issues has induced isolation in several ways, leaving no other option but to seek the platonic company of a stranger to fill that hole. While no specific research has been conducted on the issue surrounding our generational insufficiency, we can start to look at the way we handle our day-to-day interactions with others and find ways to bring back touch into our relationships, platonic or romantic. If we slowly reintroduce touch, through handshakes, hugs, or even shoulder taps, we may start to feel the benefits. No text message, no emoji and no Instagram post can replace physical contact. As science would agree, we need to bring touch back. Sometimes you just need a hug.
Related articles:
http://www.lifedeathprizes.com/videos/amazing-people/married-woman-uses-professional-
https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201303/the-power-touch
http://www.massageprocedures.com/history-of-massage/