(Photo Courtesy of Cuddlr)As the lives of college students become increasingly virtual, the world of dating has changed drastically since the classic “boy meets girl in class and they go out for coffee.”
Now it seems more like “boy sees girl’s photo on Tinder, swipes right and hopes she does the same.”
As dating apps increase in popularity, it seems easier than ever to get a date. With a nearly endless stream of people in a selected age range and distance radius, if one does not give you a swipe, there's a chance the next one will.
Business entrepreneurship sophomore Susan Bui said she does not use dating apps now because she has a boyfriend, but said she had tried them when she was single.
“I did use it before, because my friend introduced me to it,” she said. “But I have never met up with anybody from it. I think that they are all on there to just hook up and aren’t really looking for actual dating.”
Business data analytics freshman Trevor Hunt said he has been in a relationship for years, so he has never wanted to use the app. But he said that he could understand if people who were single wanted to use it as an easy way to start a conversation.
“I don’t really see why not,” Hunt said.
A new app, called Cuddlr, launched Sept. 18 for Apple users. The app, which claims to create PG-rated experiences, shows users a list of other cuddlers within walking distance.
(Photo Courtesy of Cuddlr)The app's website said it is based on “the belief that we don’t have enough opportunities for safe, consensual, non-scripted, communicative, fun, silly, serious, spontaneous physical affection carrying no further expectation.”
Essentially, a person who is interested in meeting up with someone on the list sends a cuddle request. The receiver has one hour to respond to the request, and if the receiver decides to accept, the two strangers can meet up for a cuddle.
The website said, “A cuddle can be many things: lying together in a park, window shopping, holding hands, hugging, playing with each other’s hair and putting your head in someone’s lap.”
A user must log in using his or her Facebook or Twitter account. The app claims this requirement helps hold people accountable in the virtual world. The app also allows users to rate their cuddling partner after the cuddle.
After logging in, the user can view when their potential cuddlers last logged into the app. They can also view if the person has received up votes or down votes, which are the rankings past cuddlers have given.
A search from the Tempe Memorial Union yielded 19 ready and willing cuddlers on a weekday afternoon.
Special education sophomore Haley Altizer said she was not a fan of the idea of online dating, but was particularly turned off at the idea of Cuddlr.
“I don’t like that at all,” she said. “I’m really not into meeting people online. You really don’t know what you’re getting into when you decide to meet someone like that.”
Reach the reporter at cvanek@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @CorinaVanek
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