America is facing a loneliness epidemic, with 1 in 10 adults experiencing chronic loneliness. This has led to the rise of a new industry: the connection economy. Companies like Platonic Action Lab (PAL) and Unshyness.com are offering coaching sessions, bootcamps, and community-building programs to help people expand and deepen their social circles.
The Problem of Loneliness
According to the Social Connection in America report, time spent alone by Americans has increased from 285 minutes per day in 2003 to 333 minutes in 2020. This has significant impacts on health and well-being, with loneliness linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour.
The issue is more pressing when taken in the longer term. In the 1990s, only 3% of American men and 2% of women said they had no close friends at all. In 2021, that number had risen to 15% of men and 10% of women.
Community Builders Step In
Coaches and community builders are stepping into the void, offering programs to help people build social confidence and connections. PAL founder Kat Vellos says, “There’s nothing wrong with going to an expert who knows more about that than you do to help you be successful if you want to have a good life.”
Unshyness.com founder Marsel Maza offers a different approach, with weekly in-person exercises that push people to behave like extroverts. His program has put 100 people through its bootcamp since 2024.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
