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Jacalyn Wetzel

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These women in Miami are scratching backs for money and business is booming

Got an itch you just can't scratch? These ladies have got your back–literally.

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These women in Miami are scratching backs for money and business is booming

Sometimes you find yourself with an uncomfortable itch right in the middle of your back that you can't seem to reach without assistance. Or you just want someone to slowly and gently rake their nails across your back due to the soothing nature of it all. Either way, there's a salon in Miami where the ladies make a living scratching people's backs. It's not small change either.

The back scratching sessions cost $75 to $129, depending on whether you opt for a 30-minute or 60-minute session, and they don't stop at your back. Get your mind out of the gutter. The only funny business going on is if they accidentally hit a ticklish spot. People find the sound, feeling, and entire experience of back scratching therapeutic, so Toni George and her daughter, Brittany Pashun George, created Scratcher Girls. A business offering full-body scratching.

back scratching; touch starvation; touch depravation; the scratcher girls; back scratch business Relief at last: back scratcher and hands team up!Photo credit: Canva

So what's the deal with paying money to have your back scratched? Well, the reality is that humans are touch-starved, also known as touch-deprived. Jordan Madison, LCMFT and founder of Therapy is My J.A.M. explains, "Touch deprivation is also referred to as touch starvation or skin hunger. It occurs when you’re not receiving physical touch from other living beings. It doesn’t have to just be sensual or romantic touch either. Receiving touch from family members and friends is just as important. Some symptoms of touch deprivation include feelings of depression, anxiety, stress, difficulty sleeping, and low relationship satisfaction."

In recent years, there has been a trend of entrepreneurs raking in big bucks to address this touch deficit humans are experiencing. With the influx of remote jobs, more people living further away from family members, and increased usage of social media to feel connected, a need arose for physical touch. Due to this unique demand, professional cuddlers, hand holders and back scratchers have gone from being a decent side hustle to a full-blown business.

@scratcher_girls #creatorsearchinsights Reconnecting with your inner child, one gentle trace at a time. Let the soothing art of body tracing and scratch therapy bring a little healing nostalgia and comfort into your world. 🤗 • • #inner #innerchildhealing #fyp #calm ♬ original sound - Scratcher Girls ASMR

Scratcher Girls didn't just start; they've been in business since 2010 and according to Axios Miami, all the staff members are women. The ladies keep their nails well-manicured and have their sharp nails professionally cleaned and filled between sessions. Scratching has several positive benefits outside of the relaxing sensation some may get from the activity. A 2015 study by Frontiers in Psychology explains that some use light scratching of the skin as a self-soothing mechanism, as it releases oxytocin and dopamine, which can help decrease anxiety and stress.

A viral video put them on the radar of even more clients after a YouTuber flew to Miami specifically to experience the services they offer. That's when Toni George, the founder of Scratcher Girls, explains how she came up with the idea, saying, "the scratch therapy concept was actually birthed from my experience as a child. I absolutely love the human touch, first off. And I absolutely love to have my back or my head caressed, scratched, whatever. What if we turn this into a business? Would anyone else pay to have this done?"

The answer to her then hypothetical question has been a resounding, "yes." Not only would someone pay to have this done, but apparently, people would fly hundreds of miles to have someone drag their nails across their backs. The family owned business posts videos to their social media pages with the consent of their customers, targeting the ASMR community, which drives a lot of their business. People can't seem to get enough of the Scratcher Girls, and viewers who haven't yet had the pleasure of experiencing the scratching for themselves are ready to empty their bank accounts.

Under a video of a scratch session, one woman says, "I would stay there till every card I have declines."

Another says, "Take every piece of my money. And I would need a driver to get home."

"My best friend and I have talked about this for so many years on how we would pay for somebody to do this but we never knew what you would call it and how to find somebody that does it. My mom used to do that when I was a child to put me to sleep every night," someone else admits.

Comments under their ASMR videos pour in from all over the world with people asking where they can find a service like that near them. Unfortunately for those people, Scratcher Girls is the only business that offers "scratch therapy" in the entire world, so if you're wanting to experience the pleasure of being lightly scratched, you'll have to book a flight to Miami.

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A traveler admitted that she couldn't tell Korean locals apart. They said she wasn't racist.

Research says things literally get a little fuzzy when we aren't exposed to other races.

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Is it racist to think people of a certain race all look the same? Not necessarily.

Whether we'd like to admit it or not, most people have heard someone say something along the lines of "all (insert racial group) look the same." It's not unique to one race either—comedians across the racial spectrum joke about this seemingly racist phenomenon. The phrase can sound a little racist even when the person admitting to it doesn't mean it to be.

Julia, a frequent traveler, recently had her own experience with this phenomenon when she traveled to South Korea. The woman realized that she couldn't tell the locals apart, which was baffling and embarrassing to her. Once she confessed to her Korean friends, they all got a good chuckle when they revealed they had a hard time telling white people apart. When the sentiment was the same in Mozambique, she decided to do some research into why people have difficulty identifying differences in racial groups outside of their own.

racism; race; facial recognition; is it racist; look the same; similar looks; inclusion; representation Happy friends enjoying a playful moment together. Photo credit: Canva

To Julia's surprise, there was a reason for this seemingly strange occurrence, and it had little to nothing to do with racism. The reason the phrase isn't always racist is that it happens to be true in many instances. Even in diverse countries, people tend to stay in communities that look similar to themselves due to similar cultural upbringings and expectations. Of course, this self-segregating grouping dilutes in major cities where people live near a plethora of different ethnicities and races, in which they build community.

Those who live near other races and ethnicities may have an easier time recognizing the different facial features of people from races different from their own. This is because exposure is key to not only understanding cultural differences but also visually seeing how facial features differ from one race and ethnicity to the next.

racism; race; facial recognition; is it racist; look the same; similar looks; inclusion; representation Facial recognition interface scanning a person.Photo credit: Canva

While the woman uses race to describe the phenomenon, it's important to note that race and ethnicity are two different things. A person of Chinese descent would be categorized racially as Asian, but their ethnicity would likely be Han Chinese, which makes up 91% of China. While a South Korean's race would be Asian as well, their ethnicity would be Korean. In both of these instances, their nationality would be the country in which they were born.

This is a pretty standard breakdown across ethnic and racial groups except Black Americans, who are descendants of chattel slavery. Black Americans' race is Black/African American, but unlike other groups, their ethnic group is also Black/African American, while their nationality is American. Whereas a Black British person may say their nationality is British, their race is Black, but their ethnicity is Nigerian Igbo. It's important to acknowledge the difference in race and ethnicity because one could belong to a racial group but still have the same issue with recognizing the differences of an ethnic group within their race.

racism; race; facial recognition; is it racist; look the same; similar looks; inclusion; representation Team collaboration sparks creativity and innovation.Photo credit: Canva

In Julia's research into why people struggle with recognizing faces from different groups, she discovered something fascinating: there's a name for the phenomenon, "it's called cross-race effect, and it's not about racism, it's about how our brains are wired. TLDR, you're not racist, you just have a lazy a** brain." She goes on to explain, "Our brains are essentially pattern recognition machines. The more often we see something like faces from our community, the better our brain gets from picking up subtle differences without us even realizing it. It's a bit like muscle memory but with visual processing."

The fusiform face area (FFA) is sort of like a shortcut to this processing faces even when we aren't necessarily paying attention. But like most things, you need to exercise the muscle for it to work properly in all scenarios. When it comes to faces, if the only faces you see look like your own, then it'll be difficult to recognize the distinct features of people who don't look like those in your racial or ethnic group.

Recently, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish faced backlash for her remarks while performing in Ireland after commenting, "As you guys know, I'm Irish. I am not from here, obviously. It's really cool to come somewhere and, like, everyone looks exactly like you, and you're all just as pasty as me. I love it." Some fans were offended since white people in America tend to be overrepresented in television and music. While overrepresentation may be true, chances are, since America is so diverse, the singer likely hasn't run into many people of the same ethnicity.

The first faces we learn to recognize are those in our households, which tend to resemble ourselves unless you're an adoptee. These are the faces our FFA practices on before moving on to those in their direct community, slowly expanding outward as one travels further from home.

racism; race; facial recognition; is it racist; look the same; similar looks; inclusion; representation Facial recognition technology concept.Photo credit: Canva

"When it (FFA) sees familiar types of faces, for example, faces you've had lots of exposure to, it lights up, like ha, I know this. But when it sees faces from a group you haven't spent much time with, the neural activation is weaker and less precise. Your brain doesn't process all the details. It kind of glosses over it. It's almost like your brain says, 'eh, close enough, I'll just put everything in the same category as the ones I've already seen,'" Julia explains before adding later. "It's not that the other races actually look the same, it's that our brain isn't trained to see the differences, yet."

In many ways, it's like hearing someone speak French when you don't speak the language. At first, the words all mush together and sound the same, but as you begin to pick up on French words, things become clearer. So, no, everyone who thinks people from another ethnic group all look the same is racist; they simply need to exercise that part of their brain.

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Utah teens break down neighbor's door to rescue dogs from house fire

Thankfully, the family wasn't home.

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Utah teens break down neighbor's door to rescue dogs from house fire

House fires are devastating for everyone involved. Not only are homes lost, but irreplaceable items within the home are often charred beyond recognition or turned to ash. That outcome is considered lucky if no one lost their lives. Recently, some concerned teens put their rescue skills to the test when they noticed their neighbor's house on fire with one of the family cars in the driveway.

Rescue workers were already on their way when the three boys attempted to get their neighbor's attention. Their attempts and subsequent success to enter the burning home were caught on the family's doorbell camera. In the video, you can see the boys run up to the door when one begins pounding to get the attention of the people inside. The teens yell and bang, hoping to wake up anyone inside before realizing that the people who live there aren't home.

Utah teens; West Jordan; house fire; burning home; propane tank fire; teens rescue dogs; teens save dogs Damaged house awaiting repairs after fire incident.Photo credit: Canva

It was then that one of the teens says that he saw the two family dogs in the window. An older man, who appears to be the father of one of the kids, begins trying to break the door down with his shoulder. After a few failed attempts and a reminder from one of the boys about his shoulder, the man stood back as one of the teens began kicking at the door. It seems to take a lot of time and effort by the teens before the door finally gives way and they disappear inside.

Shortly after going into the home, one of the teens can be seen exiting while carrying a dog, followed by another. The owners of the home weren't there when the fire broke out but thanks to the quick action from these neighborhood teens, their two dogs were saved.

Utah teens; West Jordan; house fire; burning home; propane tank fire; teens rescue dogs; teens save dogs Couple embraces while watching house fire unfold.Photo credit: Canva

When speaking to KSL TV5, one of the teens admits, "Without a second thought, we just jumped the fence, he says. "We got down there to see if we could help, see what we could do.” One of the other teens added, “When we got down there, the propane tanks exploded.

While the boys ran towards danger with the intention to save people who could've been trapped inside, it's important to remember that firefighters do not advise running into burning structures. These boys saved two beloved family pets and ,luckily, they didn't sustain any injuries themselves from their selfless act. But people who see a burning home should call 911 to report the fire. Attempting to alert the people inside the home may also be a safe option for bystanders, but professionals warn that people should stop short of entering a burning home.

Thankfully, it doesn't appear that these kids suffered any smoke inhalation damage or burns for their brave rescue, but that house wasn't the only one to burn. The back of the home next door was also engulfed in flames, unfortunately. Neighbors have started a GoFundMe for the people who have been displaced by the fire with hopes of helping them get back on their feet. Currently, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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Veterinarians explain the mystery over what makes cats literally flip out over aluminum foil

It's like water.

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Vets explain what makes cats literally flip out over aluminum foil

Cats really are strange creatures sometimes. We joke about them being liquid because they attempt to find a way to sit in the smallest, most awkward spaces for seemingly no reason. They can also be menaces to society, knocking things off of shelves, dipping their paws into whatever you're eating, or pouncing on your head while you're trying to sleep. There seems to be no end to their categorically weird behavior; they're even scared of strategically placed inanimate objects.

There are tons of videos showing cats practically leaving their body when they come face to face with a stray cucumber or orange. This is something that seems to have been repeated with aluminum foil. For some reason, a lot of cats simply can't stand the shiny stuff if it's not in the form of a ball with a bell inside. So what is it about the food wrap that causes felines to flip out if they encounter it? According to Forever Vets, the answer is simple–sensory overload.

cats; aluminum foil; cats scared of foil; foil on counters; cat deterrent Cooking up charm: kitchen cuddles and culinary creativity.Photo credit: Canva

Aluminum foil is shiny and smooth so when a cat's paw touches it the texture is foreign to them and may seem dangerous. But the real challenge comes when they put weight on the paw touching the foil. The noise foil makes when manipulated in any way can be uncomfortable or overwhelming to a cat's sensitive ears.

"Cats are highly particular about the surfaces they walk on, and many prefer soft, stable footing. Aluminum foil is the opposite — it's crinkly, slippery, and unpredictable. Cats rely on their paw pads to gauge texture and stability, and aluminum foil creates an unsettling sensation that they are not used to. The instability beneath their feet makes them feel unsafe, prompting them to jump away," Forever Vets writes in a blog post.

@paws.of.tiktok Cats discovering aluminum foil for the first time are some of the most hilarious moments lol #cat #catsoftiktok #catlover #foryou #funnycat ♬ original sound - .

One school of thought is that aluminum foil resembles water due to its reflective surface. Purrfect Fence says, "If a cat had not been exposed to foil before, and suddenly there was a large 'puddle' of it on the floor or countertop, it’s possible that it could be mistaken for water at first glance. In general, it’s safe to say that cats prefer to stay dry. So if the foil is initially perceived to be water, then most cats would likely be hesitant to walk right onto it."

Whether cats believe foil is a slippery sheet of ice or a suddenly appearing pond, it can be used as a short-term deterrent. Short-term, because while it may work great to keep cats from jumping onto counters or stop them from scratching furniture, it won't change their instinct to do so. That means as soon as you remove the foil deterrent, the unwanted behavior will surely return just as fast as it stopped. It also doesn't work for the long term because some cats are braver than others. Eventually, a brave kitty will figure out the foil isn't scary and test it out until they've become used to the sensations the aluminum foil brings.

@phanthavongrisugl Cat vs Aluminum foil #cat #catsoftiktok #funny #pets #funnycats #funnyvideo #foryou ♬ original sound - Cat Tales

This doesn't mean it doesn't have its place in deterring felines from unwanted behaviors. If you're attempting to keep cats out of a Christmas tree until presents are snuggly fitted beneath the branches, foil is a cheap and easy solution. The same goes for when you're preparing for a birthday party or holiday meal. Placing foil on the counters and table for a few days before the event will likely deter the furry roommates from adding their hair as seasoning to whatever dish you're preparing.

Cats are smart, determined little creatures, so the majority of deterrents used will have a shelf life of effectiveness. According to the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, the use of positive reinforcement is the best way to train animals...yes, even cats.

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