Latest news with #Samii
Technical.ly
3 days ago
- Business
- Technical.ly
Fewer Americans move, but when they do, it's for housing and a story
Armin Samii moved to Pittsburgh in 2019, and got involved. The startup founder and bicycle-safety advocate is a political organizer and a champion of various local causes. Compared to his previous home in Silicon Valley, he was attracted to Pittsburgh because living was affordable, and the city's identity wasn't dominated by tech startups. 'I think the fact that Pittsburgh isn't centered on tech is actually a great thing,' Samii told back in 2023. In this way, Samii is representative of the American way: We'll move cross-country for cheaper housing and a narrative about a place. That's true even if we've been changing homes less frequently of late. Back between the 1950s and 1980s, Americans may have been the most mobile large population in human history. In any given year over that timeframe, about 1 in 5 United States residents moved — no other country came close. A good chunk of them moved across state lines. Rather than fleeing war or famine, most moved for work, love or education. Combine that with high rates of immigration, and it's clear the lifeblood of 20th century American economic supremacy was an exchange of ideas, culture and approaches. That's why economic development strategy was so focused then on courting big established firms. People moved for jobs, the thinking went, so better get those jobs. Not so anymore. Before the 1980s, the spread of knowledge workers was roughly evenly distributed around the United States. Then, as Bill Bishop popularized in his influential 2008 book ' The Big Sort,' that began to change. Hubs of specialized knowledge in technology and the sciences emerged and accelerated. Now, people aren't moving for jobs but rather companies are moving for people. If you are lucky enough to be in one of a few dozen of the country's most dynamic regions, who needs to move anymore? Most living everywhere else stay put too, either because they can't or won't move. Economists have closely charted the decline in American mobility since the 1990s. In 2019, fewer than 1 in 10 US residents moved, the lowest percentage on record. Contrary to the pandemic story of people storming out of cities for Zoom-powered pastoral retreats, the decline has continued. In 2022, the share of Americans moving even within the same county dropped to its lowest level since the Census Bureau began tracking this in 1948. To win more residents, regions can focus on housing Declining, yes, but Americans are still more likely to move than just about any other rich country on the planet. And when we do move, it's more likely we'll go farther (not just a new neighborhood, but a new city). Over her lifetime, the average American will move nearly four times more than the average European. Each move is a chance to add to a population (read: tax base). About 25 million of us moved last year — with a rising share heading to urban centers. That's why state and local economic development strategies still sensibly include a focus on attracting new residents. What industry execs call BRE (business relocation and expansion) looks positively traditional compared to winning over people: from B2B to B2C. So why do Americans move? Three reasons dominate: cheaper housing, family changes and new jobs. Those three accounted for almost 85% of all moves in 2022, per the Census Bureau, with housing costs driving two in five of all American moves. In contrast, moving for or after college accounted for just 3% of moves — closer to the 1 in 100 moves driven by climate change. The best way to win more residents is to make it easier to build more, denser, cheaper housing. For decades, this looked easiest in the US. Southeast and Southwest. Populations boomed in old Republican states with a reputation for less regulation. But this has changed recently enough to ask the question: Did old expensive Democratic cities just run into the expensive housing problem sooner than everyone else? Americans are still not building enough to meet demand, and this is becoming truer everywhere. Forget the politics, we just want solutions, which appear to have their best chance at happening locally. In Baltimore, Parity Homes and other advocates focus on this. So-called YIMBY (yes in my backyard) groups in cities across the country are encouraging denser construction, especially near transit and mixed-use development. Meanwhile, compared to top tier tech hubs, local champions say they already have cheap housing. If they aren't all known for it, what gives? Well, the second-best way to win more residents is to make sure anybody knows it — and lots of places are foolishly overlooking their own story. Doesn't matter how great your city is if it's a secret New research out of Germany demonstrates a missing piece in economic development strategy: Stories about places aren't just passive reflections, they're active drivers of economic and social decisions. Consider a few points from the authors, Max Roessler, Markus Grillitsch, Johan Miörner and Daniel Schiller: Narratives actively shape perception: Powerful local stories transform public perceptions. Stories become self-fulfilling prophecies: Communities that tell future-oriented stories can realize the futures they envision. Authentic local stories resonate most: Narratives that genuinely reflect local experience shape not just local opinion but perception from afar Yet nearly every place in the United States let their local journalism community wither away. A new analysis from local journalism grandees quantifies that even many big cities have a worrying lack of professional local news, information and story gatherers. Smarter place-based economic development strategies have attempted to fill the gap, but tooting your own horn only goes so far. Anyone charged with attracting a declining share of mobile Americans: Storytelling isn't just an output of a community, but an input. This is a foundation of case for investing in storytelling, but the examples are more convincing. Emerging tech hubs around the country lay claim to lower cost of living — but they don't tell anyone. Of the thousands of Philadelphians working remotely at big-tech firms, many are here because of affordability, proximity to family and/or a conscious or subconscious awareness of the story that other smart people are here too. Same goes for Samii, the entrepreneur who moved to Pittsburgh. The city's relative cost of living and quirky culture were the right fit for him. But he had to discover it first.
Daily Mirror
15-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I'm a professional cuddler - don't be ashamed to pay £85 for a hug'
Professional cuddle therapist Samii Wood, 41, who makes a living by hugging strangers, said people should not be ashamed to ask for a hug and said we are in need of 'platonic touch' A woman who makes a living by cuddling with strangers has declared that people should not be ashamed to ask for a hug. Samii Wood, 41, is a qualified cuddle therapist and offers group and one-to-one sessions to people in need of a physical connection. The professional cuddler offers her person-to-person meetings from £65 for one hour or from £85 for 90 minutes. The qualified cuddle therapist revealed why this paid for affection could be beneficial as she sees her clients for a range of needs such as platonic nurturing or touch based therapy, working through trauma, isolation and loneliness. Samii, runs Conscious Connected Touch, and also offers workshops priced at £15 to £22 which see up to ten people in a "cuddle puddle" - with a nest of pillows and blankets to snuggle. Samii, who is insured, said: "We have a nest of pillows and blankets and we snuggle. We have to realise we have needs about platonic touch and I'm facilitating a safe space for that to happen - so people don't feel judged, shamed and get it in a nurturing environment." The professional cuddler, from Bedford, Beds., revealed why it was ok to ask for an embrace. She said: "I've always been an affectionate person and touch is important to me. "People have nurturing needs and to feel as part of the community and the tribe. It's part of our survival and it's ok to want that. It's a need. A lot of my job is educating. I would love for society to be more open and receptive." Samii has also embarked on giving out free hugs in the city centre - reaching 100 in one day. She says hugging strangers is good for your health and that regular touch has huge benefits. She explained: "Primarily when we have the nurturing touch, our touch receptors in our skin go to our brain and they trigger a few different things. Our cortisol levels are lowered, we get a boost in serotonin and oxytocin. "These are our feel good safety hormones. We have that because of the mother and baby connection - we relied on someone to take care of us. People find a lot of emotions they've held onto come to the surface when they're held." Samii has a mixture of clients spanning across men and women from their 20s to retirement age and from "all walks of life". She screens clients before taking them on and gets them to sign consent forms that explicitly state boundaries. She said the UK is especially reluctant when it comes to acknowledging a need to be touched, saying: "It's always been within our culture to be less tactile compared to other places and we're not educated any different. We're more disconnected than ever. I think people we don't realise the difference between online connection and physical connection." Along with her free hugs initiative, Samii said she hoped more people would understand the need for platonic touch. She added: "I encourage everyone to make a conscious effort to be more connected with each other. "It doesn't have to be hugging, it can be making more eye contact, smiling in the street - the ripple effect will go out. It takes a community to heal a community."
Mint
11-05-2025
- Health
- Mint
Professional cuddling is a growing trend; hugging becomes therapy, ‘healing without words': Will India join in?
Samii Wood, a 41-year-old professional cuddler from England, hosts 'cuddle puddles' every two weeks. In these group events, strangers sit or lie together with cushions and blankets. They offer each other non-romantic hugs and comfort, the BBC reported. Samii also provides one-to-one cuddle therapy. According to her, it helps reduce stress and increase feel-good hormones like serotonin and oxytocin. Her clients often face issues like loneliness, PTSD or nervous system problems. She says people wrongly assume the service attracts only 'creepy guys'. In reality, both men and women of all ages attend. In group sessions, Samii asks participants to imagine emotional moments, like hugging someone they miss. This often makes people cry. "It's healing without words. You don't need to know people's problems; you just know your touch is providing aid to them," the BBC quoted one attendee as saying. In personal sessions, she adjusts the approach based on the client's needs. It involves sitting and chatting to spooning or gentle back-stroking. On Cuddle Companions, a professional cuddling service starts from $160 (around ₹ 13,500) for 2 hours to $1,200 (over ₹ 1 lakh) for a 2-night session. Travel and city tour options with cuddling are also available at $600 (about ₹ 50,000) per day. Professional cuddling, a growing trend worldwide, is slowly entering India, especially after COVID-19. Many people moving to big cities feel lonely. Cuddling provides them comfort. While this trend is popular abroad through websites like Cuddlist and Cuddle Companions, India has very few known cuddlers. Some small pages like Jaadu Ki Jhappi and CuddleBuddy exist, but they have little reach. A global survey by Ipsos on World Mental Health Day 2024 found that 53% of urban Indians faced stress that affected their daily life, and about 22% experienced it many times. Depression is also rising, with 25% of Indians feeling sad or hopeless for weeks. Countries like France showed lower stress, possibly due to a better work-life balance. Will India join in the new trend? Seems unlikely anytime soon. Culturally, India has a complex relationship with physical touch and intimacy. The fear of being misconstrued is a major barrier. There have been multiple social media queries about professional cuddlers. Many are willing to offer as well. However, there is little engagement. For now, platforms like and have zero Indian professionals. Cuddle Comfort says the service is unavailable in India.
