Wisdom from Jack: Affection

Jack Embery, Reporter

Affection is something that every human no matter the geographical location, culture, or age craves and experiences. As human beings, everyone has the same need for affection. Affection is described as a requirement in any type of healthy relationship because it shows the other individual that they are important. When people think of affection they generally think of physical affection like hand-holding or other types of physical contact; but affection can be shown simply through a phone call, or maybe a high-five or kiss on the cheek. As people get older they start to learn that affection from other people can result in us not only gaining the emotional impact but a physical impact such as a gift. But, as we get even older the gifts are still important but not as important as words of affirmation or words that guarantee the mutual relationship of liking each other. Humans want affirmation both physically and verbally from others because it makes them feel emotionally secure. Samantha Rhodes, who writes for Everyday Health , states, “Affection is the proverbial glue that holds our different relationships together.” When people get some sort of affection in a relationship it makes both people feel like they are compatible with each other. Many people struggle to receive or give affection because it can be seen as a sign of weakness or push people out of their comfort zone because now they are at risk of being hurt if the affection is not returned. When someone shows affection it makes you feel desired, but as we get older so does how we show our affection. A young kid who craves affection and acceptance from his parents needs hugs and will return affection in simple actions such as a handmade drawing. And as people grow older into their teenage years and beyond they start to crave a different type of affection not only hand-holding affection but also sexual affection. Affection is a key element in being human and it can be catastrophic when we do not have it. Some facts from Psychology Today say that 1 in 4 Americans say they do not have anyone to talk about important stuff to, and more Americans are starting to live alone, even over the past decade people’s individual loneliness has increased more than 16 %. When we no longer have the human contact of feeling important and loved through affection we are more perceptible to feel lonely and depressed. Something that has become more popular throughout the evolution of technology and especially social media is the sense of fake affection from others. Whether it is a comment on an Instagram or Facebook post, or simply just a Snapchat back and forth, people will get a sense of the words they are showing are not true. Or there is another reason they are saying it besides the face of just showing their love, compassion, and emotion towards others. In the current times where social interactions are limited along with physical interactions, it is important that people still show verbal affection. It can simply be texting a friend to see how they are doing or how their day is going. Humans need to be loved and shown affection, the same way you would nurture a young child with those emotions. There is only one person who can provide that to them, other humans. Looking past differences in culture, opinions, race, or any other aspect that divides people we all have the same needs, wants, and wishes, the want for other people to like us and show affection. People should not only show their affection to people we know and love but also extend that to others who may not be getting it from anyone else.