Free Hugs

Free Hugs are a service that any person can give to another as long as both parties are consenting. They are intended as an act of human kindness. The Free Hugs social movement was started by Juan Mann in Australia in 2004. Those who participate in the movement might be called “free huggers”. The title “free huggers” sounds very similar to “tree huggers”, and those who participate are often closely related. However, free hugs can be practiced by anyone. The movement gained popularity through videos on YouTube with music from an Australian band named Sick Puppies. The movement was almost blocked completely in 2005 by Australian police who would not let Mann continue to give free hugs without public liability insurance. Mann countered this by getting 10,000 supporters to sign a petition, which allowed him to continue the campaign without the insurance.

The Free Hugs movement simply involves people with good intentions who go into public places with a sign that says “free hugs”. Anyone passing by who wants a hug will receive one.

Read more on the Free Hugs movement. from the Free Hugs Website and Wikipedia.

What Is The Value Of Free Hugs? Why Is It Discussed on a Site About Free Stuff?

There are a couple reasons why an article on free hugs would be included on a site that discusses free stuff. For one, it covers another keyword that uses the word “free” which can be indexed by search engines and found on search engine results. But it does go beyond that.

One could argue that free hugs don’t have much value. A hug is certainly something that is not usually sold, but that does not mean that it has no value. The movement itself supports a sense of community which complements many of the reasons why all community freebies are available. It’s the same humanitarian attitude that may lead people to give things away on Craigslist or Freecycle.

And it makes people feel good. How do you measure the value of something that makes people feel good? Probably the only way to measure it is by the number of people that it helps, which is many.

The Value Of Human Touch

Massage therapy, chiropractics, manual physical therapy, and a variety of holistic health services are all paid services involving human touch. While they are usually applied to relieve cases of pain or other symptoms, they can still indicate a value of human touch even when pain or other clinical symptoms are not present.

Humans have a psychological need for physical contact. The benefits of human touch can include decreased violence, greater trust, increased immune system response, team building, sexual and non-sexual intimacy, and a better overall sense of well being. Physical touch even has a direct contribution to capital gain or economic gain as most business deals begin with a handshake.

The absence of human touch can lead to loneliness and depression. Even if it’s sub-clinical depression, there are individuals who are willing to pay for human touch. This is demonstrated by the fact that there is such a thing as professional cuddling, which is intended to be a completely non-sexual service. There is even a certification for it. Some sessions are one-on-one and others are in groups. Many of the sessions are spent quietly snuggling, platonically, with only little talking involved. For examples, see The Snuggle Buddies, Cuddlist, and multiple cuddling freelancers worldwide. Pricing can range from $60-$80 an hour.

Clearly there is a value to human touch which can make Free Hugs a significant benefit whenever they are given or received.

Personal Hygiene & Safety

There is a reason why the Australian police wanted Juan Mann to have liability insurance since there is some risk invovled with giving and receiving free hugs. Simple human touch can spread germs and lead to the transmission of diseases. Possible transmittable diseases include lice, scabies, impetigo, ringworm and conjunctivitis. Also, there is the unfortunate posiblity that those who are giving away hugs may have malicious intent. The overwhelming majority of free hugs do not result in serious cases. However, the possibility warrants some efforts in safety and personal hygiene.

Use common sense. If you’re gut tells you not to do something, then don’t do it. Most free hugs occur in very public places which reduces the chances of malicious acts, since those with malicious intent do not want witnesses or potential resistance from passersby.

Those who participate in free hugs should have proper habits of personal hygiene. The hugs will not be as pleasant if either party is unclean or has odor, whether it be body odor or bad breath.

Could I Get Paid To Hug?

Those who are passionate about the free hugs movement would be disgusted by the suggestion that anyone could charge money for hugs. That’s exactly what professional cuddlers are doing, as mentioned above. See Become a Professional Cuddler. Could you deliver the service by taking a sign to a public place, just like “free huggers” do? I’ve only seen it as a prank on YouTube. However, the guy that did it ended up making $35 in an hour. I believe that included a $20 “hug”. Whatever that was; the video didn’t show it.

There are other non-sexual methods of getting paid to sell your body, such as donating plasma or selling your hair. See the Get Paid To (GPT) Directory to see other simple services that you could provide for cash. Actually Free is a family-friendly site.