TactiCare
Worldbuilding RCA, 2025
In this near-future setting, the world is heavily contaminated by micro- and nano-plastics. Every surface—from sidewalks to kitchen countertops—is layered with particles that not only accumulate in our environment but also slowly absorb into human skin when touched. Concurrently, severe climate shifts have weakened people’s skin barriers, making them even more susceptible to chemical exposure and potential hormone disruption. As a result, citizens are wary of “unverified real-world materials” and instead gravitate toward safer, screen-based interactions.
However, prolonged reliance on screen-based living has led to new health complications, including rising cases of dementia. Research in this world shows that regular tactile engagement with real, physical materials can help maintain cognitive function and mental health. In response, national healthcare systems have introduced a welfare program that tracks and encourages sufficient ‘real-world touch.’
This scenario reflects current concerns about plastic pollution, climate change, and the erosion of direct human experiences. It also addresses the tension between digital convenience and the physiological/psychological benefits of physical interaction. By focusing on the concept of ‘Touch’ and ‘Healthcare’ under the threat of microplastic pollution, the world highlights the delicate balance between staying safe from environmental hazards and fulfilling basic human needs for tangible connection. It underscores the importance of communal well-being initiatives—particularly how government bodies like the NHS might adapt their healthcare policies in an increasingly contaminated environment.
I defined this world in a word of [Tacticare]. It newly coined term designed to encapsulate this speculative scenario where tactile engagement becomes a form of public health intervention. It merges the ideas of ‘Tactile’ (touch) and ‘Care’ (wellbeing support). Ultimately, Tacticare encapsulates how, in a world dominated by screen-based interactions and omnipresent plastic contamination, governments and healthcare systems strive to restore the essential human need for tactile experience—transforming safe touch into a formalized, beneficial practice.
Recent public health directives have introduced a specialized postcard kit, sent by an NHS GP Sensor Manager to individuals over the age of forty-five who show signs of insufficient real-world tactile engagement. Dispatched from the local NHS clinic to the recipient’s home address, this intervention seeks to mitigate the cognitive risks associated with a world increasingly contaminated by microplastics, where direct contact with unverified materials can disrupt hormonal balance. In assembling the kit, the NHS provides three components: a Da Vinci code–style ‘Tactile Cube,’ a ‘Visual Occlusion Device,’ and a ‘Timer.’ Each face of the Tactile Cube features a certified safe material that users must touch for a prescribed duration, as indicated by the accompanying Timer. To ensure genuine participation and prevent tampering, the Visual Occlusion Device incorporates iris recognition technology, thereby verifying the user’s identity and adherence to the tactile protocol. Should the system detect any attempts to falsify or bypass the prescribed experience, additional penalties apply. The purpose of this program is to reinforce cognitive well-being by counteracting the largely screen-based lifestyles and contamination anxieties prevalent in contemporary society. By integrating rigorous safety standards and real-time monitoring, this postcard initiative embodies a novel welfare strategy: it reintroduces deliberate, monitored touch as a method of sustaining mental health in an era where physical contact carries heightened environmental risks.