We hear all about the loneliness epidemic these days. The surgeon general even released an 80-page report on the topic in 2023, declaring that "lacking social connection is as dangerous as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day." So if you're lonely and smoking 15 cigarettes a day, you're cooked.
Of course, COVID exacerbated social disconnection to never-before-seen levels. But long before the world shut down and we had to hunker down in our homes, the Free Hugs movement aimed to spread connection among strangers all around the world.
Well, it turns out even large corporate conglomerates need some love from time to time. Instagram user Christi Sikes spotted a Coca-Cola vending machine in her local Walmart that was yearning for some love. The machine had an image of a heart encasing a Coke bottle, with the words "Hug Me" printed boldly underneath. The machine was practically begging for some human connection.
Cautiously, Sikes went up and hugged the machine. Then, she reached into the hole and pulled out a can of Coke. What a lovely reward.
It turns out the needy Coke vending machines have actually been around for quite some time. Per Ads of the World, they first popped up in Singapore back in April 2012. Since then, they've popped up sporadically, often on college campuses. The machine made an appearance at the University of Georgia in 2017, and at Georgia Southern University in 2019.
“Whether you were hugging the machine or experiencing the event online, our goal was the same – to put a smile on your face and share that emotional connection,” a company spokesperson said in a 2019 press release, per Coca-Cola United. “Reactions were amazing… people really had fun with it and at one point we had four to five people hugging the machine at the same time as well as each other!”
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/ZUfcL4F
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