A fledgling “loneliness economy” is booming on the back of warnings about just how bad loneliness can be for us — “comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day,” as one often-cited comparison puts it. But can we really spend our way out of loneliness? In this month’s Highlight cover story, Allie Volpe breaks down the false promise of startups promising to banish loneliness (for a price), the real symptom they may be concealing, and a better way to bring people together. Also in this issue: How to know your true self. The ocean’s under-explored “twilight zone.” Making friends by lying to them. And why is it so hard to donate a brain?
Read more Your loneliness is big business for these startups
You’re a people pleaser? Here’s how to not lose yourself.
By Shayla Love
Can you spend your way out of loneliness?
By Allie Volpe
Inside a quest to learn about the ocean’s mysterious “deep reefs”
By Byrd Pinkerton
Coming September 1
Why is it so hard to give away my dad’s brain?
By Courtney E. Matin
Coming September 2
How to make friends by lying to them
By Constance Grady
Coming September 2
- The Highlight