Digital touch

In a relatively short period of time we have restructured the nature of human interaction.

There was a time when engaging with others was pre-arranged (Think Downton Abbey dinner party). The telephone then enabled us to circumvent such a formality enabling the caller to call when it best suited them.

Today we have 24 x 7 access via the web. For many people the need to be available at all times means they / we have no privacy. Young people in particular feel compelled to be readily accessible in order to remain socially included.

Perhaps like ants in a colony we are more connected than ever. Everyone is touching antennae with everyone they encounter.

However with the web we are not actually physically touching. Given that it is in our nature to touch / groom / nit-pick those in our community this evolving digital sociality would appear to be taking us further away from our true nature.

I am concerned about the psychological implications of this on future generations. Or maybe the next wave of social technology will somehow or other embrace physical touch. My money is on haptic technology.