Science has shown that physical touch, even with a robot, has health benefits, according to a review and analysis published in Nature Human Behaviour. The study included a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of 212 studies involving 12,966 individuals and intended on ascertaining the health advantages of touch.
The findings showed that physical contact with humans, animals, and objects can alleviate feelings of pain and depression in adults, children, and even newborns. This suggests that physical touch is crucial to both physical and mental wellness. The commonality of touch as a means of interaction and its development as the first sense in newborns makes the benefits unsurprising. Even in space, where touch may seem less party to the sensory experience, individuals are still in contact with something unless completely naked.
While touch from robots and other objects had positive physical and mental health implications, human touch was found to be superior. However, this doesn’t invalidate the benefits of non-human touch, especially in a world increasingly open to at-home robots. The presence of such robots may provide a source of physical touch for lonely people across the world, thus improving their health.
Notably, the study found that the benefits of touch varied depending on the type and the area of touch. Massaging and hugging yielded similar benefits, but face and scalp touch proved to be more advantageous than touch in other parts of the body including the torso. This disparity emphasizes the need to understand the dynamics of touch and its impact on health.
In conclusion, science encourages those feeling lonely not to lose hope, as the potential of robot companions offering beneficial touch is promising. In the meantime, a more mundane object like a toaster could offer touch benefits, thanks to science. Hugging a robot may not perfectly replicate the health benefits present in human touch, but it comes remarkably close. It offers hope for a future where physical touch and its accompanying health benefits are more accessible, even to those who might otherwise struggle with isolation or loneliness.
