Proxemics, Pre- and Post-Covid

What is Proxemics?

Proxemics is the amount of space an individual may feel it is necessary to have between themselves and others. These preferences can differ depending on the situation and how comfortable a person is with others to begin with. We have different preferences in intimate spaces, personal spaces, social spaces, and even public spaces where proxemics can determine and completely change our emotions and external responses. An intimate space is normally measured to be 0-18 inches, a personal space is 18 inches to 4 four feet, a social space is four to ten feet, and a public space tends to be 10 feet or more (Beck 2023). Personally, I do not wish to have someone extremely close to me in a public space the way I would in an intimate space.

Proxemics Space Sketch by Warner

Now that we have discussed exactly what proxemics are, it is important to note how different events can alter how we feel about the space around us.

The Pandemic

Covid-19 was an incredibly terrifying event that influenced our view of proxemics. Rules were enforced to ensure our safety surrounding this contagious disease like mask mandates and how close we were allowed to stand next to others in public settings. Prior to the outbreak, it was our personal preference and respect for other's space that determined how close we would stand next to someone. However, creating the "six feet" rule forced people to stay away from each other and influenced permanent responses. After standing by this rule for multiple years, it is difficult to break from the habit and be overly cautious moving forward. Even today, when I stand in a line, I find myself standing further back that probably necessary simply for the comfort of others and my own subconscious response. We have been victim to operant conditioning where punishment was inflicted if the rules were not followed. That punishment being getting Covid and threatening your health. When such threats are on the line, it can be difficult to break from those habits. It also sparks the question if we should even break those habits to begin with. Should we stay as alert and aware as we may have been at the peak of 2020? How does this ultimately effect public interactions with others? Let's review the positives and negatives.

Covid Boundaries (Janin 2022)

Positives:

1. Increase of personal space

    For those of us who already are not fans of having others in our personal bubbles, this outcome is fantastic. What more could we ask for than people already knowing to stay far, far away from us. It increases our natural respect for others and enforces boundaries that are helpful for our peace of mind.

2. Comfort

    Additionally, to the idea of having more personal space, our overall comfort in public settings can be increased. If people know to stand further away that previously, we are much more likely to avoid awkward situations or having others hear private conversations.

3. Cleanliness

    This is one of the more obvious positives due to the fact that it was the initial reason for the mandate to begin with. If we aren't sharing the same breathing space as often as others, we are much more likely to not get sick and stay healthy. This can allow productivity to improve and the overall wellbeing of the others.

Negatives:

1. Lack of togetherness

    Although this mandate may have been seen as an overall positive for public spaces, it makes it increasingly difficult to bond with others on a personal or even intimate level. It makes it harder to feel comfortable in group settings when our brains are constantly telling us that we are too close to one another.

2. Fear

    How can we create close friendships with others if we constantly scared of getting sick by them. Even after the pandemic settled, it is still common to see people out wearing masks even after the mandate dropped. This fear of getting sick even after the government declares it is safe will have long lasting effects on how we interact with others moving forward. Would you rather stay away from everyone or risk getting sick to experience closeness with others?

3. Boundaries

    Everyone responded to the pandemic differently and not everyone's response is the same. It can be difficult to determine the boundaries of others because we can never really tell how they will respond to closeness. Someone who may have more fear coming out of the pandemic may require a much larger boundary to feel comfortable. Personally, I love being close to my friends like hugging, but it is difficult to determine what those boundaries now are.

Hugging a Close Friend photo by Warner

How will this affect design in the future?

Proxemics are essential to understand as someone designing specially for the spaces around us, so it is important to know the requirements of the client for them to feel comfortable. Designers will need to be more cautious and aware of the placement of items and how the proximity of design will affect the client. We also need to ensure that if any kind of outbreak were to happen in the future, how can we best prepare for that in the designs we create now. 

Citations

Beck, C. (2023, October 17). Personal Bubble. The OT Toolbox. https://www.theottoolbox.com/personal-bubble/#:~:text=Why%20is%20a%20personal%20bubble%20important%3F%201%20Personal,your%20body%20should%20not%20be%20touched%20unsolicited.%20 

Janin, A. (2022, February 28). Why is everyone standing so close?. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-is-everyone-standing-so-close-personal-space-boundaries-pandemic-11645802816