Spoonr (formerly Cuddlr) was a social-meeting application where strangers who lived within walking distance from each other could meet up for casual, platonic

cuddling A hug is a form of endearment, universal in most human communities, in which two or more people put their arms around the neck, back, or waist of one another and hold each other closely. If more than two people are involved, it may be referred ...

Overview

Users could send nearby prospective cuddle partners an invitation to cuddle, which the fellow users could either choose to accept or decline within 60 minutes. The application provided real-time walking directions to cuddle partners, allowing them to meet up, either in a private or public setting. It was claimed the

Tinder Tinder is easily combustible material used to start a fire. Tinder is a finely divided, open material which will begin to glow under a shower of sparks. Air is gently wafted over the glowing tinder until it bursts into flame. The flaming tinder i ...

of cuddling. Unlike

, the age of all users (and, potentially, gender) was omitted. Additionally, users were rated by previous cuddle partners according to their cuddling techniques and spooning preferences, their communication skills, and their ability to respect boundaries. These ratings, which acted as a safety measure, were then made available to all Spoonr users.

History

Cuddlr was launched on September 18, 2014. The app was co-founded by Charlie Williams, an American who now lives and operates out of England. Williams, a software engineer and founder of Charlie Roberts Williams Ltd., previously helped develop Shazam, a popular application that offers music identification services. Williams studied at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

in the United States and at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

in the United Kingdom. The concept behind the application is said to have started as a joke at a dinner party and was further developed once a need for such an app was identified. Cuddlr’s design was overseen by co-founder Jeff Kulak, a Montreal-based graphic designer and illustrator. Its media relations were managed by co-founder Damon Brown who operates out of Las Vegas and is a professional speaker, business coach, and author of twenty-five books. Brown has a Masters in Magazine Publishing from

and sat on the board of the

American Society of Journalists and Authors The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) was founded in 1948 as the Society of Magazine Writers, and is the professional association of independent nonfiction writers in the United States. History The organization was established in ...

. As of March 16, 2015, Cuddlr reported that it shut down, stating "Cuddlr closes up shop and wishes you all the best". In September 2015 Cuddlr was acquired by Hiplex LLC, an

NYC New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...

-based company, and rebranded as Spoonr. As of January 2017, Spoonr has officially shut down.

Reception

Cuddlr has been featured on Tech Times, ''

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'',

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, and more. It hit the Apple App Store top 10 twice: In September 2014 and in January 2015, shortly after it was featured on the cover of the Wall Street Journal. Approximately a quarter million users joined Cuddlr at its peak. The application has been subject to numerous critiques. According to Alex Sevigny, a Canadian communications expert at

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...

, for

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, the app commodified intimacy and made a private activity public. Kate Bellamy, a journalist from Metro News UK, criticized the app for encouraging people to disrespect

personal boundaries Personal boundaries or the act of'' setting boundaries'' is a life skill that has been popularized by self help authors and support groups since the mid 1980s. It is the practice of openly communicating and asserting personal values as way to pr ...

, which could supposedly potentially affect the lives of non-users as well.

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wrote that only people desperate for human touch would turn to technology to fulfill this human need with a stranger, and that, therefore, the application was supposedly unsafe.

References

{{reflist Geosocial networking Mobile social software 2014 software Online dating applications

Overview

History

Reception

See also

References