The Value of Touch and the Internet.

Touch has been symbolized in various ways throughout history The historical setting of the medieval age Europe provides a context for why was symbolized in certain ways. In that age, most people had a very low quality of life and developed a sense of camaraderie from others being in the same situation as them. Strong social ties were emphasized in the various actions that were social: eating together, bathing together, and sleeping together. Other common forms of social touching were embracing, kissing, and holding hands. The social nature demanded from most people was furthered by the social practices that were common. Social touching was used to illustrate a sense of holy intimacy and forgiveness such as "Jesus healing with a touch, having his feet anointed, washing his disciples' feet, kissed by Judas, [and] scourged by Roman soldiers," (30). Another interesting finding was that work was described as incredibly hard and physically taxing by the vocabulary used to describe it. Even more interesting was after a day's work "the fortunate laborer would enjoy the soft pleasures of bodily comforts. The hardness of the work, indeed, made the softness of the comforts all the more pleasurable," (20). The tactile sensations of life are described to be a necessary obstacle for tactile pleasure later. Various forms of touch were used to describe discipline: "fasting, sexual abstinence, sleep deprivation, and the self-infliction of pain," (32). Pain was also used for various reasons: "instruction, discipline, domination, exorcism, purification, redemption, transcendence, subversion, stimulation, diversion, punishment, and deterrence," (60-61). It is interesting to think about all the facets that tactile sensation covered in the past.

The value of the sense of touch has definitely changed over time. The sense of touch has always been the same but it has experienced a steady decline of its value. Disembodied social interaction has been more normalized over time and I do not think this is a problem. The argument against the gravity and emotional ties of online friendships has gotten weaker and weaker as the world has improved its technology. Countless songs, opinions, memes, pictures, jokes, stories, videos, ideas, and recipes have reached me and been accessible to me through the internet and people I haven't met in person. We cannot keep thinking that experience through online and internet means devalues that experience. If we continue to relate only to those who are immediately around us then we cannot relate to the rest of the world. I believe the ease of defining one's in-group and out-group will be shaken up even more as humanity moves towards mutual understanding.