Casual friendships are dying out — and we're all worse off for it

Tech Insider : Economy
Man surrounded by fragmented and cracked geometric shapes, each containing people inside
Casual friendships are key to our emotional lives, but these "fringe friends" are slowly disappearing.

Seba Cestaro for BI

Nikol Moses felt the itch to head somewhere new.

A retiree explains his path to achieve happiness and counter loneliness. It can work at any age and doesn't cost a penny.

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy
Old man walking outside
Joe Lamy, 75, found a solution to counter the loneliness epidemic among older people.

Abraham Gonzalez Fernandez/ Getty Images

Uber and Lyft drivers say they do it for more than the money: It makes them less lonely.

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy
uber lyft drivers
Mark McCann (left), Dean Ceran (middle), and Jason McConahy (right) said they've benefited from the social interactions that can come with Uber and Lyft driving.

Mark McCann (left), Dean Ceran (middle), Jason McConahy (right)

Life in the US got boring, so I moved to China. I'm lonely and single, but I plan to stay.

Tech Insider : Travel
Woman with Micky Mouse ears at Disneyland in Hong Kong
Despite feeling lonely living in China, the author doesn't plan to move back to the US.

Danielle Marcano

People say weekends feel 'different' now and they no longer want to socialize, blaming the pandemic and the economy

Tech Insider : Economy
Woman on a couch with dog
More and more TikTokers say they're deprioritizing socializing on weekends nowadays.

Klaus Vedfelt

I recently graduated from college, and I'm incredibly lonely. I'm struggling to adjust to my post-graduate life.

Tech Insider
Rachel Bernstein under cherry blossom trees
The author is a recent college grad.

Courtesy of Rachel Bernstein

Why AI might make us have fewer friends at work

Tech Insider
Illustration of a man working with a robot sitting at table
As artificial intelligence takes on a bigger role at work, it could make more of us lonely.

Feodora Chiosea/Getty Images

Nearly a third of Gen Z said technology is making them lonelier — and it's making many spend more

Tech Insider : Economy, Technology
Social media rampage after breakup
Social media is making nearly a third of Gen Zers more lonely.

Georgijevic/Getty Images

Millennial and Gen Z parents are struggling

Tech Insider : Economy, Politics
Illustration of stranded parents.
Millennial and Gen Z parents are finding themselves isolated, overwhelmed, and stressed out about money.

Eleanor Davis for Business Insider

Kyle Taylor doesn't have a village.

A youth sports overhaul could help America's kids be less lonely

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy, Sports
Hooptown Youth League
A Hooptown Youth League team.

Chris Elam

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