[Vol.85] Could We Really Be Satisfied by Non Face-to-Face?
Non face-to-face meetings and classes through ZOOM, non-face-to-face delivery payment using delivery app and non-face-to-face orders through KIOSK in the store are now familiar to our life. A year after the corona crisis, 2021, people get used to the non-face-to-face situations. But on the other hand, some people emphasize face-to-face contact. For example, there are the Silicon Valley executives. The school (Waldorf School) where their children attend is promoting and practicing school education focusing on human relations and nature rather than high-tech schools with various smart devices. As the example shows, despite the rise of non-face-to-face, there is a positive position to value face-to-face. If so, what is the value of face-to-face contact? Is face-to-face really necessary for our lives? Let’s try to find the answer for such questions through interesting experiments, examples and scientific facts.
Interesting Scientific Facts Related to Contact
There are three layers in embryonic cells (cells that can be seen in tissue differentiation and that can be converted to any body organ): endoderm (innermost layer), mesoderm (middle layer), ectoderm (outer layer). Our body is formed by differentiating from such three layers. Interestingly, the skin and brain are created by differentiation in the same cell layer called ectoderm. Thus, to make an easy comparison, the skin and brain are from the same hometown. So, they are closely connected by countless nerves. Therefore, our brain is bound to be sensitive to skin stimulation. And our brain is affected a lot by contact through our skin. In particular, intimate contact can have a positive effect on us. When you are in a comfort situation, intimate contact stimulates the brain to reduce cortisol which is released when stressed, and increases the secretion of hormones such as oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine that make you feel happy.
The following example that shows us the importance of contact is the story of a Romanian orphanage in Romania. In the early 20th century, a Hungarian psychiatrist Rene Spitz found something interesting by observing children raised in Romanian orphanages. He found that only children in Romanian orphanages die in less than a year, despite the similar environment to other orphanages. He found out that the difference from other orphanages was that Romanian orphanage children had much less contact with caregivers than other orphanage children. As the example shows, physical contact can be a more important factor in children's growth than a perfect environment.
Harry Frederick Harlow's experiment in the U.S.
American psychologist Harry Frederick Harlow conducted an interesting experiment on contact. He made a model of two mother monkeys in a cage. One model wrapped around a soft cloth, giving it the effect of skinship. Milk is attached to a model that is not wrapped in cloth. Before the experiment, most psychologists predicted that baby monkeys would rely on milked models for survival. Contrary to expectations, however, the baby monkey spent most of its time wrapped in a cloth that was softer than a milked one. Even when drinking milk, the monkey tried not to fall off the cloth-wrapped model. This experiment added strength to the opinion that touch or contact is as important as survival.
Mehrabian's Law: Nonverbal elements as important as linguistic elements in human-to- human communication.
In the book Message of Silence, Albert Mehrabian, a psychologist at the University of California, found that nonverbal elements such as voice, tone, and facial expressions are more important than the meaning of speech. Even if you say that you have a good relationship with the other person, if you show displeasure in your expression or avoid others eyes, it's different from what you actually say. Like this, we can communicate more accurately by facing each other's nonverbal expressions. Also, when you actually meet friends who communicate only with kakaotalk, you can feel more intimacy by exchanging facial expressions, speech, etc. Likewise, people are able to make deep relationships through face-to- face communication.
In this regard, INDIGO conducted an interview with a student of the Primary Education Department who takes both non face- to- face and face- to- face classes.
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Interview Q1. Was it easy to communicate nonverbal elements online? A. It was difficult. I rarely used gestures because the appearance on the screen was limited. And it was difficult for me to grasp other’s facial expressions depending on the condition of the camera. But the tone was well conveyed. Q2. What was easier to communicate between face-to-face and non-face-to-face classes? A.Face-to-face class was more convenient. In face-to-face class, it was easy for professors and students to communicate simultaneously. However, communication was not easy in non-face-to- face classes.For example, students should turn off the audio and turn on the audio only when they ask questions or give their opinions while taking classes.At this time, if several students' words overlap or the surrounding environment is not good, students' words were often not delivered well. So I felt that the concentration of non-face-to-face classes was much lower than face-to-face classes. Q3. Which class was better to build a rapport with students? A.The class of face-to-face conversation seems to be able to get closer faster. There was a lot of time to communicate with team members in lectures that produced educational game content. However, since we communicated through video, there were many times when it was very awkward and long static even though we spent a lot of time together. However, in other classes, which are face-to-face classes, I was able to get along with my classmates. In the case of nonverbal expressions, it seems to be free in face-to-face classes. Without distortion of expression or voice, it could be delivered to the other person and expressed more various gestures. |
As such, you can take nonverbal elements online, but there seems to be some limitations to completely deliver them.
Non-face -to-face life cannot replace face -to -face life.
Due to Corona, non-face-to-face inevitably took up a large portion of our lives. Unfortunately, non-face-to-face seems to be the only answer in the status quo. However, there are many opinions that non-face-to-face can’t replace face-to-face. Just as the students who experienced a non- face-to-face graduation ceremony immediately express their dissatisfaction. On the other hand if Corona is prolonged in the future, you may not feel uncomfortable because non-face-to-face life is taken for granted to us. However, face-to-face is not a mean for something else, but a purpose itself, and it's also called a human instinct. It is a part of human relationships that we face and contact each other. In addition, understanding, respect, and tolerance for others that are learned from human relationships are essential when living in a convergence era that has flown with the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Moreover, human warmth and love through contact can be an important driving force in living in an era of widespread individualism.
We proudly adapted ourselves to several non- face-to-face situations that suddenly occurred on account of the Corona era. But is it a good sign of our lives that we are getting used to non-face- to-face and taking it for granted? Of course, non- face-to-face life has given us many advantages to adapt to the Corona era. It is also true that non- face-to-face programs have given a lot of help and opportunities in the Corona era. However, it is important not to forget the value that only face-to- face life has. Why don't you remember the value of face-to-face meetings between people when you're used to a non-face-to-face lifestyle?