Touch: the forgotten sense in a digital world

Touch: the forgotten sense in a digital world Human communication is becoming increasingly digitised, with potential adverse effects on social interaction and well-being. TOUCHNET investigates how interpersonal touch fosters social connection and regulates stress. Combining real-world data collection and wearable sensors, the project will map how, when and why people touch. Utilising advanced brain imaging, it will further identify the neural signatures of affective touch within social and allostatic brain networks. In doing so, TOUCHNET seeks to uncover the mechanisms by which touch reduces stress and promotes social inclusion, as well as the contextual and moderating factors that shape these effects, ultimately guiding more compassionate forms of communication.