Hooda: New social networking app, lands in Leeds
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Hooda have introduced a new mobile app that is sure to revolutionise the student experience. The initial release is exclusive to both the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett students, and is available now for free download on the App Store and Google Play.
This unique social networking experience enables you to discover and connect with fellow students in your immediate, surrounding area. Giving you the platform to expand your social circle by connecting with new people who may have otherwise passed you by, Hooda has listened and delivered.
In 2020 the results of an independent survey released by Cibyl reported that 55% of students often felt lonely on a daily or weekly basis. Hooda will tackle these alarming statistics by enabling students to build new connections through the touch of a button. This intuitive app is centred around empowering students to become completely connected on their own terms, whenever and wherever.
Hooda understands the direct impact that the COVID -19 pandemic has had on first- and second-year students’ social life in particular, having missed out on important opportunities to form meaningful connections in natural environments. The pandemic has inevitably limited the spontaneity that comes with forming friendships at university, whether this be through mutual friends or even by ‘chance’. By empowering the city of Leeds with an app that reveals other students’ social medias in your immediate surrounding area, Hooda is re-opening the door to extended friendship circles and revolutionising opportunities for socialisation.
The young entrepreneur and co-founder of Hooda, Giuseppe Antinoro says “I truly believe that university is a time to lay foundations for your future, to make friendships that last a lifetime, to network with likeminded people that you can one day innovate and co-create with. I honestly think students are more aware now than ever before of the importance of building relationships, not just from a personal mental health perspective, but also from a future opportunities perspective too. When people come together, amazing things happen and for me this is what Hooda is all about.”
So, what differentiates Hooda from Bumble, Happn and other apps that help you discover friends and relationships? Hooda operates in real time, meaning that your results page will always be exclusive to those within your 100m radius. This will enable you to discover and connect with more likeminded users, who may be studying at the same times, in the same places, or doing the same things as you.
What you are probably wondering by this point is… how to Hooda? As mentioned previously, Hooda is available on both App Store or Google Play store, and you can sign up by using your university email address. Once you have downloaded the app onto your device, you’ll simply need to set up your profile with a picture of yourself and add your chosen social media accounts (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, LinkedIn and/or Twitter). Other students within a set radius will then be able to see your profile on their results page and either view or request to view your social media. It is easy right?
