TOUCH vol. 8 | Page 12

TOUCH Issue 8: Technology Hijacking Biology relationship with the virtual world. Brasel & Gops note that touchscreen technology significantly influences the way we interact with and use the Internet. Ta b l e t s a n d S m a r t p h o n e s account for a considerable amount of online purchases, and heavily influence the way we feel about a product, service or experience. This is where the biology of touch comes in, and it’s why touch-screen technology is here to stay. begun the process of owning it (mentally). The psychology of ownershipthrough-touch translates well to a touch-screen when we physically place our finger on the image of it. When compared to a desktop click-interaction, touch-screen interactions create greater feelings of connection to the item, and a deeper sense of what it would be like to own it. “In the human brain, there is only a small degree of difference between a simulated event and an actual event.” In the human brain, there is only a small degree of difference between a simulated event and an actual event. Oftentimes the measurable results are quite comparable. When we touch an object in a store, we are far more likely to buy that product (or at least something at the store) because we have interacted with it to some degree and therefore we have already Not only do touch screens help us feel like we already own a particular product, the phone itself feels more like an ext ension of o u rselves. Where desktops and laptop computers are not often associated with a sense of self, tablets and Smartphones are. In some instances they become our “window to the world” where we get to participate in an environment that is artificial but made all the more real through tactile involvement. Greater connection and involvement is something we all crave, as social creatures. We are hard-wired to find our place in the world and interact with it through touch. The biology of touch explains why we all love our touch-screen devices [perhaps] a little too much.  Drew.