Selfpathy, the external hypercommunication organ
Students
Josehine Cretin
Jana Deulofeu
Júlia Goicoechea
Alicia Linares
Laia Miquel
María Pallí
Fotiní Pani
Andie Puentes
Tutors
Format
WearableTopic
Global ProjectYear
2023
This project explores the profound impact of hypercommunication on empathy
and interpersonal relationships. In an era where digital interactions proliferate,
we often find ourselves communicating more but connecting less. The constant
exchange of messages, audio snippets, and social media interactions, driven
by a perception of lack of time, leads to abbreviated and impersonal communication. This phenomenon adversely affects empathy levels and relationships,
especially for the empathetic agent: the individual expected to demonstrate
empathy in a given moment. Traditional notions of empathy, developed in the
context of physical interactions, become obsolete in the digital age. The project
introduces a speculative concept: the Hypercommunication Organ, an external
organ that acts as a portable alter ego reflecting emotional well-being. This organ, fueled by data from its carrier’s mobile phone, intervenes when it detects
unhealthy communication patterns, offering stimuli, challenges, and even implementing “punishments” if detrimental behaviors persist. The project targets the
smartphone-dependent Generation Z, aiming to foster self-empathy by tangibly representing digital habits and emotional health. The organ’s form, made of
semi-transparent plastic, is worn as a fanny pack and communicates through
inflation, visually displaying the user’s progress and challenges through wrinkles
and imperfections. Ultimately, the project envisions a daily public visualization
in the city, celebrating acts of self-empathy among the residents of Barcelona.