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With many adults admitting they feel lonely, meetup platforms offer the chance to make new connections
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Global — Kimi Chaddah
With many adults admitting they feel lonely, meetup platforms offer the chance to make new connections
Would you pay £20 a month for the chance of making a friend, on the understanding that an algorithm – not you – gets to decide who you’ll meet?
Driven by the decline of “third spaces” such as youth centres and pubs, an increase in remote working and rising loneliness – 40% of adults aged 16 to 29 feel lonely “always, often or some of the time”, according to the Office for National Statistics – paid social events are now in vogue.
Would you pay £20 a month for the chance of making a friend, on the understanding that an algorithm – not you – gets to decide who you’ll meet?
This report is published with credit to The Guardian. The wire sent a summary; open the original for any extra context. Read on The Guardian →
Source: The Guardian · Kimi Chaddah. Published 26 Aug 2026, 06:00 am.
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