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TOUCH vs TECHNOLOGY
“No other form of communication is as universally understood as touch. The compassionate touch of a hand or a reassuring hug can take away our fears, soothe our anxieties, and fill the emptiness of being lonely.”
Too often we underestimate the power of touch until the unprecedented pandemic began.
WHAT IS THE POWER OF TOUCH?
Well, if I was asked this pre-covid, what does a touch do to someone, my response might have been different. Not long ago it dawned on me that in the ancient years, touch was a mode of communication and so it has been carried on through generations.
Ever since the deadly covid plunged into our lives, the touch has lost its address. Oftentimes, we crave a gentle touch from our teachers, friends, and family. It now seems like a dream far away for some of us.
A human touch eases our emotions, calms our fears, encourages us to move forward, and nurses our wounds. The touch does play a vital role in ways unimaginable. It soothes a deep cut wound, heals a broken heart, and reassures a weak mind.
Touch is a powerful gesture through which children raised with more physical interaction tend to be less aggressive and violent. Touch lowers stress levels and improves immune function. In elderly people, touch soothes and affirms them to handle the process of aging with dignity. Touch inspires an under-confident child to gain confidence and perform better.
HAS TECHNOLOGY BEEN ABLE TO REPLACE ‘THE TOUCH?’
Not being able to meet in a physical environment, walk hand in hand, and shoulder to shoulder is stressing out a lot of us. A warm hug, a gentle touch, a pat on the back, the bright smiles around are amiss. The helplessness of not being able to give a pat on the back of a child for exceptional performance in a task, admiring the legible handwriting directly from the physical books, watching them play and run around the campus, just to name a few, stands uncertain now.
Technology can never replace the touch of a human being, which was perceived as a blatant fact which many realised during the pandemic. The solace brings to our hearts can never be replaced with technology. Yes, the fact is that most of us have become tech-savvy. Education has paved its way to an entirely new level with the use of technology. Teachers and students are now technologically literate and can handle any application and tech tools with ease.
Technology replaced touch in terms of education. Online education has widespread its wings over the past two years. Technology played its game intervening in the touch of a human being. It was replaced using laptops, screens, various tools, and techniques.
While technology has enhanced immensely across the globe, has it ever been able to make an impact like that of a touch?
Well, you know it already.
