The Virtual Touch Toolkit: An Interactive Media Mobile Application for Promoting Well-Being through Affective and Social Touch

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/ReportConference contributionContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Ali Najm - , Cyprus University of Technology, CYENS Centre of Excellence (Author)
  • Christos Hadjipanayi - , Cyprus University of Technology (Author)
  • Despina Michael-Grigoriou - , Cyprus University of Technology, CYENS Centre of Excellence (Author)
  • Domna Banakou - , University of Barcelona (Author)
  • Francis McGlone - , Liverpool John Moores University, University of Liverpool (UOL) (Author)
  • Merle Fairhurst - , Bundeswehr University of Munich, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)

Abstract

The 'Virtual Touch Toolkit' is the exergame bundle of a newly developed smartphone application for mental health. The primary aim of the exercises is to promote self-discovery by focusing on social, affective touch. The necessity of acknowledging the undervalued properties of affective touch in this day and age is more important than ever as a global pandemic is provoking societal changes that are predicted to be detrimental to our mutual need for affective touch. The toolkit comprises multiple features and sets of exercises, which are designed to stimulate the user's oxytocinergic and reward systems while offering educational insights on affective touch.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2022 International Conference on Interactive Media, Smart Systems and Emerging Technologies, IMET 2022 - Proceedings
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages1-4
ISBN (electronic)9781665470162
ISBN (print)978-1-6654-7017-9
Publication statusPublished - 2022
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

SeriesInternational Conference on Interactive Media, Smart Systems and Emerging Technologies (IMET)

Conference

Title2nd International Conference on Interactive Media, Smart Systems and Emerging Technologies, IMET 2022
Duration4 - 7 October 2022
CityLimassol
CountryCyprus

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-6540-5891/work/150883520

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • affective touch, COVID-19, gamification, health technologies, mobile media, neurology, social distancing, well-being