The Case for More Vitality: Why touching, smelling and tasting are so important

Essay by Paulina Czienskowski, independent journalist from Berlin

Nobody can stop the invasion of our lives by the digital transformation, which is clinging to our lives like the suction cups on the tentacles of an octopus. Livestreams, chats, Google Earth – anybody can see and listen to anything, go everywhere, no matter how far it is, and talk to anybody, no matter what time it is. The opportunities this creates are incredible. Going online also means being able to achieve something, economic or otherwise.

But that begs the questions: is there something missing? Have we stopped wanting to touch, smell, and taste things? The answer is clear: of course, we haven’t! Countless events that are cherished by many shows how important it is to people to indulge in the “real thing”: the Long Night of the Sciences, or other city-wide events like the Carnival of Cultures, trade shows, food markets, or theme parties.

Some of these events are quite expensive, while much of the stuff we get online is still free. But to hear a popstar sing live on stage just sounds better, just as popcorn tastes better in a large room with a huge screen. It’s just that more authentic.

To be sure, many events are organised online and pop up across the social media platforms to mobilise the masses, but when we’re there, we can feel and smell other people. Which also makes it easier to understand each other, since so much is misunderstood in writing. If something goes wrong, talking can make it go away within seconds. In the analogue world, we find ways to actually talk to each other. This is also what vitality means to me.

Life with the internet has milled its way into our every-day life since the 1990s. Let’s be honest with ourselves, we couldn’t do without it. But what counts are real-world experiences. They bring people together and make us feel as one. Companies are also realising how important this is. Joining forces at the company running event will strengthen the team’s spirit and make life in the office more trouble-free and even more humane.

Whether in business or in our private lives, going to concerts, seeing a match at the stadium, or going to the cinema brings people together, because these experiences are mutual and confrontational. The beauty is: no matter how rigid the plan, there will always be a surprise happening on the way that everybody still remembers years later. Isn’t off the beaten path the best way to go?

These experiences strengthen interpersonal relationships quasi automatically. They make you become one with people who enjoy the same things – even if it’s just for the moment. Or you can debate those that don’t enjoy it. At this year’s World Cup, it will happen wherever you look.

Places like the so-called fan mile in Berlin, or the pub around the corner, bring people together in the flesh. They are so beloved because they contribute to social cohesion in a way the digital realm does not. The sense of immediacy we get from these places is a remedy for the soul.

People who forget that will probably become pale and wither behind all the screens that surround them day after day. Their senses will be dulled. At least that’s what the critics of digitisation want to make us believe. I am not sure if alarmism is the proper response to these unstoppable developments. Luckily, we can still breathe, can’t we?

Still, do me a favour: go outside. It will be worth it. Touch, smell, and taste things! The things outside are a common good that belongs to every one of us. They broaden our horizons and strengthen the communities that strengthen us. After all, this is the most important thing.