The Cost of Loneliness
Loneliness isn’t personal anymore. It’s creating new businesses.
The Big Story
Americans have never had more ways to connect, yet loneliness remains a growing concern.
In 2023, the Surgeon General called loneliness a major public health challenge. Now, companies are increasingly trying to solve that problem through everything from meetups to fitness groups to coworking spaces.
The Two Spins
From the Left
Loneliness is viewed as a growing public health and social challenge.
Parks, community events, and shared spaces make it easier to build relationships.
From the Right
Loneliness is a sign that many of the relationships people once relied on are fading.
Families, friends, neighbors, and local organizations are the foundation of a connected community.
What This Means for Us
More businesses are finding ways to monetize connection and aren’t just selling products or services anymore.
They’re creating places where we meet, spend time together, and feel part of something.
How They Make Money
Bending Spoons owns Meetup, where more than 60 million people have signed up to find people who share their interests.
Instead of charging people to join, Meetup earns money from the organizers who bring the groups together.
Takeaway
Helping people find their people is becoming big business.
The Number That Stuck With Me
100
The World Health Organization estimates loneliness is linked to more than 871,000 deaths globally each year, or about 100 every hour.
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