This past week I read an article on a recent invention that made me think that we are really beginning to lose it. Melissa Kit Chow artist and designer along with Andy Payne, and Phil Seaton at MIT lab have come up with a” Like a Hug Vest”. The wearer feels like they’re receiving a hug every time they receive a “like” on Facebook. It’s supposed to be a way to bring the wearer closer to their friends. I have to admit I got the creeps when I read about it. What’s next? Technology has huge advantages, but it is also removing our ability to be social, and is perhaps more evident with the millennials who seem willing to take virtual encouragement than to find time for personal relationships. Phone calls, visits, and quality time seems more and more a thing of the past. It’s far easier to text or post on facebook. I often think we are on the path to the De-evolution of man. I see future humans hunched over texting grunts into their smart phones. Language as we know it will vanish as we use less and less verbiage to communicate. After all you want to get on with whatever you’re doing. No need to waste time on being overly loquacious. It was inevitable that someone would come up with a substitute for a sensory substitution like a hug vest. I’m sure we’ll soon have purses and wallets that look like lips. Perhaps anytime you post on facebook, the lips will pucker and you’ll hear a big smooch. I fear for the next generation when it comes to their emotional lives. I grew up in a time where having conversations were a daily part of life. Chatting with shop owners or someone waiting in line was commonplace. A couple of weeks ago I was in the airport waiting for a flight and almost everyone waiting was either on the phone or scrolling to see if they had a message. They might have had a fascinating person seated next to them, that could have enriched their lives, but the phone was far more intriguing. Could there be a balance between being a human being and a human doing? I have high hopes. While being a click away from getting a hug might be appealing, it will never be as gratifying as the real thing. “’
Totally agree with you, Loretta. I’ve stopped using Facebook daily because I don’t like the narcissism it fosters — in myself and others who use it. I feel so much healthier when I log out and DO something three-dimensional, like meet friends for lunch or take care of my home.
I can see it now in the headlines–Leo Buscaglia returns from the great beyond to give the Hug vest a thumbs down. Or –Hug vest hugs wearer too tight and the EMT’s called. Or–Hug vest doubles as arctic Jacket to the Northerners.
Thanks Loretta,
Helen
I wish I could hug You, Loretta 😉 Goddess bless u.
Great post (as usual) Loretta! As much as I enjoy blogging and social media which has blessed me with additional connections, new friends and business… I have to retain an outside connection to the workforce where the art of being in company with each other is so crucial for my own emotional balance and ultimate sanity. So, I break my days up to embrace both on any given day.
Loretta I think only time will tell whether your fears will prove true. I know that most people I know use Facebook and social media as a supplement to in person interaction – not as a replacement. But you’re right, as our lives get busier it does get more and more difficult to socialize and have those human interactions face to face in the same way we once did. On the plus side though social media brings us together and means that even when we can’t be in the same location as our loved ones we can still be connected – and there is value in that.