Maybe social media just meets their social needs. Maybe this is not a problem that needs to be solved, this is just the way things are now.

I have been trying to make more friends in the real and virtual world the past two years, and I have been pretty successful. Most of my new friends come from the following: Volleyball, MtG, or a writing group.

Really, I think that it comes down to make making or joining a space with a shared activity and moderating out the crap.

The problem is most communities are losing those spaces in favor of private social clubs. That's what we need to fight.

I wish there were more of these types of community that's designed to encourage interaction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzKSKqjEmDA

There is no "loneliness epidemic". It's a bad journalism epidemic. People in general are a combination of lone and grouping. Both are OK. People don't need to socialise all the time. People who want to socialise but can't usually suffer from emotional difficulties that they haven't addressed. Same for people who obssess about socialising all the time.

I'll jump.

I've been meaning to set up a bi-weekly dinner for hacker types who live mid peninsula, specifically near San Mateo. I have a group of 4 or so in mind and have a good place to host, but would like a slightly larger group.

If anyone would be interested in helping to get something stood up, send electronic post to carl chatfield snail (mail run by g)

I have no link or affiliation with this company, but recently heard about it:

https://storiboardclub.com/

They say they want to “make meeting like-minded people easy, natural, and fun” and “ Loneliness doesn't have to be the norm.”

https://storiboardclub.com/about-us

Communities, in-real-life communities.

Dancing, knitting, cooking, sports, gardening, board games. Which activity is secondary, what is crucial is that people can come (no matter if they feel great or not), can bring friends, with low pressure (so they can sit and talk, no need to actually dance, cook or so).

Regularity is crucial - weekly are the best.

I am actually planning to write about this subject! I haven't read all the comments here yet, but I'm glad to see people discussing about this.

Why are we lonely despite the extreme connectivity provided by technology around the world?

This thread itself shows what I have been struggling with!

Familiar relationships always come out of a sense of shared responsibility and utility, not out of a "secular" desire to "make friends", the way I see it.

So, live vigorously in a way that benefits from social relationships and they will necessarily come.

Be useful to others and they often return the favor.