I came across an article talking about the new app “Cuddlr”. The basic idea is that you sign in with your Facebook profile, check other users and if both agree you will meet to hug each other. The reporter tried it out and here are briefly the results: she got rejected by females and did not receive answers by males during the day. However, in the night between 10pm and 3am she got many requests by men.
This does not seem that the app is used simply for cuddling; probably it is seen as a new dating platform. And still looking at the vote-option on telegraph, nearly 40% think that it is a lovely idea to cuddle strangers.
I personally would never make use of this app. I think it is weird to hug strangers and hugging in general is something personal. I hug people because of certain feelings, such as friendship, being happy etc. And I don´t want to share those feelings with total strangers. Moreover, looking at the results of the reporter it seems that men are not using the app just for hugs. I think it is scary and irresponsible to meet in the middle of the night someone to hug; you never know what happens or if the profile is real.
What do you think of this app? Would you use it? Did you try it out already ?
Reference
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11115116/Dating-app-Would-you-cuddle-a-complete-stranger-A-new-app-says-you-should.html
I think there is a major difference between cuddling and hugging someone. From my understanding, I see cuddling as a more intimate act, shared by couples or extremely close friends/family, whereas hugs could be shared with people less close. Either way, I lack in see how meeting someone for ‘just a hug’ would be something interesting in doing. Do they part their own ways afterwards? I believe these type of app is a wake-up call to what we, as society, experience the most: loneliness. Although we all are significantly ‘connected’ to one another and our networks are becoming greater by the day, we should, perhaps,consider leaving the online world aside for a bit and pursuing more ‘real’, touchable special moments with our loved ones.
First, I really agree on what Natalias2014 say: cuddling is more intimate that just a simple hug. I hug some of my friends but I will never think about cuddling them ever. But besides my personal view on this, I cannot understand why you would want to cuddle someone via an internet application? Don’t these people have other things to do rather than staying up all night in order to creep some people out? I think that people should go out more often instead of going online to find this kind of attention out of people. I think it would enhance their social life and maybe help them with their loneliness they are obviously experiencing.
Whether it is about cuddling or hugging, I find the idea of this application simply bizarre. I think you are right that the purpose of it is an indirect way of calling it a dating application. I do not really see a point of meeting a stranger to hug or cuddle. In general, a physical contact is something very personal for most people. It is strongly related to our feeling and emotions. Not to even mention the fact that the app is a very dangerous way of meeting new people. You can never make sure that a profile is authentic and a person has genuinly “just cuddling” intentions. Moreover, I do not really see how one could build up a relation or friendship based initially on the cuddling priciple.
I certainly agree with the comment above. Unfortunately, Social Media offer many socialising opportunities but we often forget about the real “face-to-face” interaction that no application or website can compensate. Maybe instead of spending evenings and nights on looking for potential “cuddlers”, one should possibly put away hir or her phone and look for more authentic ways to interact with people.
Actually I never heard about that app before, but I think it’s a weird app! Nowadays there come more and more new apps regarding dating and meeting and I think with the weirdest ideas, especially this one. In my opinion, it doesn’t make sense whether it is cuddling or hugging, because with a stranger I think it’s strange anyway. You don’t know that person and it is quite intimate and personal and I do also think that it is something you do with people in your circle of friends and family etc. But, that is different for everyone of course.
I agree that it could be very dangerous, to meet something to hug or to cuddle in the middle of the night, because I think it’s clear that men want something else in the night. However, I think that it is almost the same as other dating/meeting apps or websites because in the first instance you never know sure who you will meet. So, in my opinion, I would never use this app. I think it’s irresponsible to meet strangers, especially in the middle of the night, and in such situations people ask for trouble.