But considering the buzz surrounding eduHookups, it's going to grow beyond Chicago, and in fact, it's opening at Brown University starting April 4th. Segments on the sex networking site have been on The Today Show, a number of Chicago news programs, and even The Tonight Show With Jay Leno:
With all that, the eduHookups site has a long way to grow. It's current featuring 300 registered members who've sent over 1,300 private messages.
The eduHookups site started as "UChicago Hookups," a site made by University of Chicago students, for University of Chicago Students. In fact, the tag line "Where fun comes to thrive," is a play on the saying that, at the University of Chicago, "fun comes to die." Here's a news segment on the site when it was called "UChicago Hookups:"
Why eduHookups and not Craiglist?
Why is eduHookups better than the 'Casual Encounters' pages on Craiglist? That question's addressed on the eduHookups site:
Why should I use this site instead of Craigslist?
eduHookups is open to members of selected colleges and universities only, while Craigslist is public. It's not hard to conclude which community is safer and has the more reputable (not to mention the more intelligent!) members.
Because an EDU email address is required to sign up on the site, the amount of spam/fakes/etc can be kept to a minimum.
Craigslist eventually requires interested parties to communicate on their own via email. eduHookups handles every step of the process, from public posting to private communication. Our private messaging system means that no user information is ever disclosed.
Our campus events section allows publication of local events that are more interesting and relevant to our user base.
The Next Facebook
In The Social Network, we learn that Facebook started as a way for college students to network, if not hookup. While Facebook was less "in your face," and perhaps because of that more palatable to a wider audience, eduHookups does provide a need for a society were people don't seem to know how to talk to each other.
Before the Internet, there was voice. A man was expected to approach a woman and talk and mate; to not be afraid to say anything. Now, men generally are the reverse: fearful of saying anything to a woman and more concerned with what other people will think, both women and emasculated men.
It's one of the characteristics of the "emasculated man" of today. It's the reason why so many men at parties just stand around in groups and don't say anything. And it's one reason why there are more interracial parings than ever before - for some people of color, a man is expected to act, period.
All of that, and more, have created the environment for eduHookups. Indeed, it's a great idea. So much so, this blogger's surprised it's not at Cal Berkeley, or Stanford for that matter. But give it time. eduHookups just may be the perfect cure for the emasculated male. Let's hope so.