Tactile Communication in Everyday Life.

¶ … tactile communication in everyday life. Tactile communication is the use of non-verbal communication, specifically touch. Many believe it to be the most basic form of communication developed over time, especially because it is used with infants in our initial communication with them.

People may not think about it, but touching and not touching, or tactile communication, is an important part of everyday life. We give a co-worker a hug when they are having a bad day, shake the hand of a business associate, and touch the hand of our spouse when they come home from a long day. One writer notes, "Touch is a critical aspect of relationships, from the initial handshake between strangers to the embrace of close friends to sexual intimacy" (Andersen, 2005, p. 57). Therefore, we use tactile communication throughout every day, whether we are aware of it or not. Two other writers continue, "Perhaps no mode of human interaction has the same potential to communicate love, warmth, and intimacy as actual body contact" (Andersen & Guerrero, 2005, p. 83). Everyday life is filled with many forms of tactile communication, and it is the first type of communication we learn, so we become accustomed to it before we become accustomed to any other form of communication.

There are many norms associated with tactile communication, and they are established early in life. They also change throughout life. Some of these norms are based on society, while others are based on age and gender. Young children learn by touching things, they are extremely tactile. That is one reason young children often put everything they touch into their mouths. They not only want to touch it to learn about it, they want to see what it tastes like, and whether they should remember it in the future. Until they can talk, touch is the only way children can communicate, so we learn our tactile skills very early. As children mature, they continue to be very tactile, and they like to touch each other and those around them. This is another norm for tactile communication. However, in adults there are very different norms, often controlled by society. It is totally unacceptable for men or women to touch each other inappropriately or sexually unless they are in a relationship of some sort, and after a certain age, it is inappropriate for boys to touch girls, except in very neutral or general ways. These norms differ in different cultures, and some cultures are much more closed about touching. For example, in our society, hugging is an accepted way to greet or say goodbye to someone, but in other cultures, that would be inappropriate, so norms differ throughout the world.