by Kate H.
Picture this: You’re walking down a busy street in a shopping centre and you are not in a good mood at all. As you’re trying to force your way through crowds of obnoxious shoppers around you, sidestepping screaming babies in carriages and mothers intent on spending money rather than sooth their young ones, you see a sign standing directly in front of you. It’s a “Free Hugs” sign, and behind the sign is Juan Mann (pronounced ‘one man).
Juan Mann started Free Hugs in 2004 and since then it has snowballed into a worldwide phenomenon thanks to a video that went viral on Youtube. The campaign has spread worldwide since that first day, but the goal is still the same: to hug a stranger. On the Free Hugs Campaign website it says that, “In th
is age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.” This statement states the absolute truth. The thing that makes the concept of Free Hugs so enticing and the reason people embrace it so much is because this sort of contact is slowly dying in our community. As the world begins to rely on the Internet for connections more and more the idea of simply giving someone a hug is dying out, not only in America, but also all over the world. The Internet has become the sole connection between people. You want to ask someone a question, don’t call them just write it on their Facebook wall. You want to tell someone how you’re doing, don’t write them a letter, write an email instead. We’re slowly losing physical connections as the need for them dies out. But in truth, physical connections are the only thing we actually need. If we were to live in a world where all we did was speak to each other through the Internet or through text messages instead of face to face the world would be a far worse place.
Another reason the Free Hugs Campaign is so endearing is because we live in a world filled with violence. Violent images are projected everywhere, on TV, in movies and in video games, especially in video games. Video games, while they may be virtual, still impact those who play them. Young children are playing violent games like Grand Theft Auto IV, which has a rating of M for Intense Violence, Blood, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Partial Nudity, Use of Drugs and Alcohol. These video games help desensitize children to images of violence which in turn affects their own violent tendencies. In a study done by Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl Olson “they found that playing video games was a nearly universal activity among children, and was almost always intensely social. But the data did show a link between playing mature-rated games and aggressive behavior. The researchers found that 51 percent of boys who played M-
Rated games — the industry's equivalent of an R-rated movie, meaning suitable for ages 17 and up — had been in a fight in the past year, compared to 28 percent of non-M-rated gamers.”(GTA4 Report)
It seems to me that we have two opposing forces. One would be the influence the Internet, video games, etc. has on society including the social aspects, these affects have been researched in this study done by Jeremy Chia, Tracy Smith and Eric Tam. The study explored how Internet usage impacts social skills offline. The other force would be the affects Free Hugs has on people. To me, the Free Hugs campaign gives us the much-needed physical connection between people that we are losing. Juan Mann said it himself “I went out to a party one night and a completely random person came up to me and gave me a hug. I felt like a king! It was the greatest thing that ever happened.” That one gesture spurned an entire movement because it was that connection that helped Juan Mann through the hardships he was facing at that point in his life. There’s a reason why humans yearn for physical contact, the reason being that we need it. We need to feel like someone cares, and giving someone a hug is the most comforting way to do it.
It seems that in a world filled with violence, social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the Free Hugs Campaign is a nice reminder of how a hug can cheer people up and how one mans mission has become a worldwide movement that inspires people and allows people to create real world connections with something as simple as a hug.
Hug O’ War
by Shel Silverstein
I will not play at tug o’ war
I’d rather play at hug o’ war
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses
And everyone grins
And everyone cuddles
And everyone wins.
That one gesture spurned an entire movement<<< i think this comment relates to life in general, sort of a chain reactiont hing. If we were to all play "hug o war", or put that idea into practice anyway, the chain reaction would spread around. Its that notion that whatever you do has a ripple effect somewhere around you, wether it be gossiping or laughing, or in this case, just a hug. beautiful kate i love it!
ReplyDeleteANNIE DEMANE
ReplyDeleteI really liked the sweet nature of your blog! It's nice to read something so uplifting, all in all. However the entire section about video games seemed really out of place. I see why it's there, to provide contrast in today's culture, but it goes on for a bit too long, I'd say. All in all it was a very nice message, and the poem at the end is a terrific addition.
ReplyDeleteThe generally positive and happy tone of your piece and the movement behind your piece were both very interesting. The idea behind Free Hugs, to promote peace and comfort, is certainly a good thing, but i disagreed about your views on video games. There is just as much evidence, if not more, that playing violent video games has absolutely no effect on the cognitive development of youths. Obviously, letting a very young child play Grand Theft Auto is not necessarily a good idea, as the same types of themes as an R-Rated movie are found in M-Rated games. The same thing happened when movies such as The Matrix came out, many people and media outlets decided with little or no evidence that it adversely affects behavior in terms of desensitization, a thought which has been proven incorrect. It may not be a good idea to expose young'uns to these types of media if they are not mature enough to deal with it, no pun intended. Anyway, sorry for getting carried away with that. I thought that the poem at the end and the message of reassuring and helping out strangers in need is certainly a great thing.
ReplyDelete-Sam Wells
All we need is hugs?
ReplyDeleteSo here's the thing: I remember seeing a report about Juan Mann, and tend to agree that a sincere and welcome hug can help make the world go round. However, I'm not sure if I'm interested in some strange person pressing his/her body against me. The premise in the blog seems to be that everybody all around the world needs a hug. Is it so universal? Just like different cultures treat hand shakes, waves and kissing differently, I wonder if hugs, are seen differently depending on custom. It would be great to have added evidence to your claim that, "As the world begins to rely on the Internet for connections more and more the idea of simply giving someone a hug is dying out, not only in America, but also all over the world." Researchers who study babies have found that babies have adverse effects if they are not touched. Other researchers say that the equivalent of that sort of affection in an adult is the act of listening.
But the sentiment is great, nonetheless. And Juan Mann's mission has spread! Hearkens back to the 70s "make love not war" cry. Once people perceived that his interest is true, they loved it!
Sorry, typo above: Make love not war is a 60s chant!
ReplyDeleteWhat a creative concept! Whenever I go to downtown LA or something I feel like these people are everywhere. I actually have never hugged these people. I liked reading about how the idea of "FREE HUGS" came about. It's very true, with communication turning to strictly technology people need to keep up the whole physical contact thing. Loved the poem at the end!
ReplyDelete- Jennifer