Manhattan Installs Public Punching Bags for Frustrated New Yorkers

• donttakethisthewrongway, a design studio based in Savannah, installed punching bags in various parts of Manhattan.
• The punchings bags serve as outlet for anger and frustration that people in cities like New York regularly experience
• Around 55 percent of adults said they had experienced stress during “a lot of the day,” according to The New York Times.

Living in an energetic and electrifying city such as New York can be really stressful. Tempers regularly arise from busy commuters walking frantically on the crowded streets, as they navigate through traffic, noise, and pollution.

So a design studio based in Savannah, Georgia called donttakethisthewrongway installed punching bags where people can vent their frustrations in a safe and convenient way.

The initiative was part of the New York City Design Week 2019. The punching bags serve as a cathartic means for people to release their pent-up emotions in a communal space.

The bright yellow punching bags are easily visible and are installed in various locations around Manhattan.

As donttakethisthewrongway explains their initiative:

“The concept explores designing common spaces for the frustrations we all face.

Frustrations that go beyond designed systems and happen, well, because we are human.

The public punching bag offers an outlet for these emotions as a means to maybe develop a healthier way to address personal and collective issues in a public setting.”

New Yorkers seem mighty pleased with the punching bags.

This may be a brilliant idea, especially since an annual poll revealed that “Americans are among the most stressed people in the world, with the number of people reporting anger, stress and worry at a 10-year high.”

According to The New York Times report, “around 55 percent of adults said they had experienced stress during “a lot of the day” prior to the survey being conducted, compared with just 35 percent globally.”

“About 45 percent meanwhile said they had felt “a lot” of worry the day before, compared with a global average of 39 percent.”