Welcome to the unit economy

In 2025, Japan made global headlines for approving the use of companion robots to help its rapidly aging population. It was a technological answer to a very humanitarian crisis known locally as… KudokushiOr “dying alone.” The Japanese are not the only people facing this challenge. In 2018, the United Kingdom appointed Tracey Crouch as the world’s first female “minister”. Feeling lonely“, in the wake of a government report that revealed the increasing prevalence of isolation. And in the United States? A surprising number of Gen Zers now say that their closest confidants are not people at all, but apps.

Even though we live in the most interconnected era in history, millions of us feel completely alone. The 2023 U.S. Surgeon General’s report even described loneliness as an “epidemic,” comparing its health risks to their health risks. smoking 15 cigarettes per day. But as this emotional void expanded, something unexpected happened. The unit itself has become a market. Welcome to the loneliness economy, where companionship, digital or otherwise, can now be purchased, streamed or rented.

Take advantage of isolation

Need someone to talk to at 2 a.m.? There’s an app for that. Replika, one of the most downloaded programs Amnesty International The chatbot apps of the world allow users to chat with an artificial companion that “learns” about them over time. Some people even describe their replica as their “soul mate.” In Japan, there is a service where you can rent osan, Literally, an older man, not for romance, but for listening, chatting, or taking a walk in the park. In Seoul and Tokyo, restaurants now feature individual dining booths for those who prefer to eat alone rather than face the discomfort of social small talk.

to treat The apps provide around-the-clock digital support. Health retreats promise to “reset” tired millennials searching for meaning. Even pet companies have jumped on the idea, renting animals out for short-term fostering to those who aren’t ready for full-time ownership. There is clearly a deep emotional hunger and the market has found countless ways to feed it for a price.

Is this what communication looks like now?

What really drives this desire for digital affection and paid companionship? At its core, it’s about people feeling uninhibited. Traditional places we once called for community, such as churches, neighborhood centers, and even offices, have vanished or changed beyond recognition. Remote work divides many of us, and a culture that glorifies independence often makes a company’s demand seem like weakness. But the most important shift may be technological. As MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle (2011) once said, so are we now “Alone together” Endlessly surrounded by screens and messages, yet starving for something real.

It is also no longer unusual for people to feel emotionally close to influential figures they have never met, or to fictional characters who feel more familiar than their neighbors. It’s kind of Intimacybut it was outsourced. Can these digital alternatives really satisfy us? Or are we confusing ongoing interaction with real connection?

A global transformation in society

Loneliness is a global public health problem, with real social and economic consequences. It looks different depending on where you are. In collectivistic cultures, isolation can be profound shame; In more individualistic societies, this is often dismissed as “just being an adult.” Either way, millions of people are quietly aching for the same thing: meaningful human connection.

Hope or harm?

There is no denying that the unit economy fills a need. For people who suffer from anxietyOr people with disabilities or those living in rural areas, virtual companionship and therapy apps can be a lifeline. These services also help normalize seeking emotional support, something that many cultures still stigmatize. But there is a dark side. Many of these systems are designed to engage, not heal. They keep us clicking, but not connecting. When we start replacing human relationships with structured digital ones, we risk losing the messy, unpredictable beauty that makes real connections so essential.

Sociologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad (2015) has long warned that chronic loneliness carries serious physical and mental health risks, from heart disease to… depression. No algorithm, no matter how advanced, can replace the complex web of empathy, touch, and shared experience that only real people can provide.

Reimagining teamwork

Maybe the loneliness economy doesn’t just exploit our separation. Perhaps this reflects ours. It is a mirror that shows how deeply we want to belong to a world that continues to divide. The solution may be simple. Create more public spaces where people meet virtually. Parks instead of parking. Town halls instead of timelines. Conversations that don’t need a notification to start. The loneliness economy may be booming, but if we really want to feel connected again, it’s going to take more than just smart machines. It will take us showing up for each other.