When one thinks of happiness, the first thought that comes to mind is that of attaining it from material pleasures. But what if the secret to true, lasting happiness was much simpler than that?
This is the question that ITC Sunfeast Mom’s Magic sought to answer, with their recent social experiment titled ‘The Happiness Hack Experiment’. The aim of the experiment was to measure the happiness levels of an individual when they hugged their mothers.
The film, ‘The Happiness Hack Experiment’ asks, ‘In today’s fast-paced life, where do people get their surge of happiness?’
It starts with the very well-known content creator Siddharth Aalambayan and the protagonist who has equipped a happiness tracker throughout the day, producing a graph showing his mood fluctuations.
While discussing the spike in happiness graph progress, the protagonist is surprised by his mother visiting him.
The happiness graph shows a major spike as he hugs his mother, proving that moments of connection with his mother are a key source of happiness.
The experiment was conducted in collaboration with Crownit, and the survey was conducted among 321 participants in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, in the age group of 13-35 years. The participants were further bifurcated into students, working professionals, homemakers, and youngsters staying with, and away from their parents.
Key highlights of the survey among the participants:
The survey revealed that the frequency of hugging their mother when they were a kid versus now, has reduced by 31% for the Gen Zs and 33% for the millennials. Listening to music is the most common form of de-stressor, followed by watching content on over-the-top (OTT), and hugging mothers ranked third.
The survey also revealed that hugging one’s child stands at 6 times per week, the frequency of hugging a spouse is approximately 5 times per week while hugging mothers is just 3 times a week. When asked how they felt upon hugging their mothers, more than 60% said that they felt a sense of comfort, mood upliftment, and happiness.
In order to measure the happiness levels of an individual when they hug their mothers, a brain-tracking device was attached to the protagonist of the experiment.
The results of the experiment showed that the maximum amount of happiness surge was when the protagonist hugged his mother on the second day, thus showcasing the magical effect of a mother’s hug on the individual.
This prompted ITC Sunfeast Mom’s Magic to launch a new campaign #HugHerMore, with the objective of encouraging everyone to hug their mothers more frequently. Ali Harris Shere, Chief Operating Officer, Biscuits & Cakes Cluster, Foods Division, ITC, said, “Hugging is an expression of love and is integral for bonding between a mother and her children. As we grow older and life catches up, physical closeness with our moms significantly reduces. The gap just keeps increasing, leading to loneliness for mothers as kids become more independent.”
Puneet Kapoor, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy South, said, “We are constantly seeking newer ways of getting happiness rushes to overcome our busy and stressful lifestyles. And for this, we often turn to technology and screens. While tech can provide us with temporary spikes of happiness, true happiness always seems to be illusive. With our screen time going through the roof, it is time we turn to genuine human connections. It is time we turn to what I feel is the ultimate source of happiness, the source we came from – our moms. The idea was set up as a decoy experiment with tech being an ally. The social experiment reinforced the magical effect of a mom’s hug on the participant.”
The #HugHerMore campaign by ITC Sunfeast Mom’s Magic is a call to action for people to take a pledge to hug their mothers more often and spend more time with them. This is a reminder to all individuals to take time out of their busy schedules and hug their mothers more often, as it is a powerful stress reliever and will boost their happiness.
The experiment by ITC Sunfeast Mom’s Magic is a testament to the fact that true happiness and comfort come from simple acts of love and affection, and that the most powerful stress reliever is the hug of a mother. It is time for us to turn to our mothers for true, lasting happiness and make memories that will last for a lifetime.
