Videoage International May 2019

6 World May 2019 V I D E O A G E According to Hall’s study, people reserve a zone of about 46 centimeters around them. This “intimate space” is reserved for family and close friends. The space assigned to esta- blished business associates and acquaintances starts at 45 cen- timeters and extends to 1.22 meters. Strangers and new bu- siness associates have to keep a distance of 1.22 meters to as much as 3.66 meters away. However, the PCPF have poin- ted out that these guidelines tend to vary according to cultu- re and age. In Latin America, for example, social space for stran- gers can be as little as 60 centi- meters. In addition, the amount of personal space one prefers can be altered by changes in the amygdala, the region of the brain that registers threats and activates automatically when personal boundaries have been crossed. APIKE-UKE Tug-of-War OverCableTV T he Polish Chamber of Electronic Communica- tions (PIKE) has issued a statement criticizing draft pro- posals by the country’s regula- tory agency, the Office of Elec- tronic Communications (UKE), which would open up the net- works of the six leading cable operators to other parties. PIKE represents 100 compa- nies, including electronic com- munications operators, electro- nic manufacturers, and firms in the broadband field. In effect, UKE wants six cable operators: Netia, UPC, Multi- media Polska, Vectra, INEA, and Toya, to provide whole- sale access to other telcos, including fixed line operator Orange Polska. According to PIKE, the move would hamper investment in the cable sector, have a negative effect on com- petition, and lead to fewer choi- ces for consumers. In addition, stated a PIKE re- presentative, the effects of the draft proposals could have a ne- gative impact on up to 4.5 mil- lion TV households in Poland, since UKE would impose expen- sive regulatory obligations on cable operators while deregula- ting the telco, Orange. E very day, an imaginary Political Correctness Police Force (PCPF) seems to (metaphorically) reissue guidelines to explain personal space requirements, as well as acceptable behavior among humans. In reality, however, the proper dimensions for social space have been researched since as early as 1963 by American anthropologist Edward T. Hall (1914-2009). Anthropologists study human language, culture, societies, biological and material remains, the biology and behavior of primates, and even people’s buying habits. Hall coined the term “proxemics” to describe the study of human use of space and the effects that population density has on behavior, communication, and social interaction. Proxemics has several subcategories in the study of nonverbal communication, including “haptics” (touch) and “kinesis” (body movement). What’s The New Too “Close” For Personal Comfort?