Loneliness is no longer just a concern, it is something most millennials are living with. Seeking strangers to fill that void is increasingly becoming acceptable. Two very interesting professions that are thriving because of this is ‘professional cuddling’ and ‘RentAFriend’. While professional cuddling has now transformed into what can only be called a cuddle trend, it is also known as plutonic touch therapy, the profession has been gaining much traction in the recent months. From adults in a mid-life crisis going on record to share how helpful the theraupetic experience can be to young adults taking up the profession full-time.
Do you ever realize how debilitating the lack of touch can be in your life? If yes, then you need to try out professional cuddling or just hire a friend. The sporadic growth in professional cuddling and even friend rentals for that matter seems to be serving a distinctly modern need.
Samatha Hess, the founder of Cuddle Up to Me, created a catalogued where she has deviced 65 different positions to cuddle. Hess has also written a book called Touch, the Power of Human Connection. Snuggle Buddies is yet another cuddling outfit which has a roster of 125 freelance cuddlers, churning a revenue worth $16,000 a month in New Jersey. Companies take this art of snuggling quiet seriously and train their employees to become certified professionals in the field.
Paying a stranger to massage you with your clothes off has been considered of the highest order of spa treatment and has always been. At the same time, cuddling a person fully clothed can also become the norm. There are still many people who consider this vulgar or even lewd considering the positioning. However, all myths of any sexual activity taking place during cuddling sessions have repeatedly been debunked. In fact every client is expected to sign an agreement agreeing that no sexual activity of any kind with snugglers will take place.
Another interesting advent is that of RentAFriend. A lot of people out there are tired of being by themselves or not finding the right kind of friends to confide in. A stranger in such a scenario can many a times be just the right antidote. According to its founder, Scott Rosenbaum, majority of his customers are business travelers who are tired of eating alone in new cities every month, who call in people to accompany them at the bar or grab a bite when they are in a foreign city. The other variety of his customers are people who have recently moved to a new area and are unfamiliar to a place.
These businesses may not be seen as a real thing, but have been known to provide healing for patients of depression, PTSD, are on the autism spectrum, suffer from cerebral palsy or ALS, have missing limbs or disfigurements, or struggle with insomnia, addiction, or homelessness.
