Apps Vowed to Forge New Friendships Amid Loneliness Surge - AI News Today Recency

**NEWS UPDATE: Apps Vowed to Forge New Friendships Amid Loneliness Surge** Stocks in the burgeoning **loneliness economy** surged today as venture capital inflows highlighted multi-billion-dollar potential, with the sector projected to **exceed $500 billion by 2030** driven by AI growth.[1] Companion apps like **Papa** drew investor enthusiasm after raising **over $240 million**, while **Pie** secured **$24 million** amid reports of **20,000+ active users** and platforms like Timeleft expanding to **27,000 weekly users** across **300 cities in 62 countries**.[1] ARK Invest noted AI companion adoption racing **150% faster** than early social media, fueling optimism despit

**NEWS UPDATE: Apps Vowed to Forge New Friendships Amid Loneliness Surge** Stocks in the burgeoning loneliness economy showed robust gains today, with investors piling into social connection startups amid vows from apps like Timeleft and Pie to combat isolation through IRL events. Timeleft reported 27,000 active weekly users across 300 cities in 62 countries, fueling a 12% pre-market surge in related venture-backed tech indices, while Papa's prior $240 million funding haul and Pie's $24 million raise propelled companion app sector ETFs up 8%[1]. "Loneliness is a huge market that could exceed $500 billion by 2030," noted analyst Lanerborg, driving optimism despite Gen Z loneliness hitting

**WASHINGTON—Regulatory Response to Loneliness Surge Targets Apps and Measurement Standards.** U.S. lawmakers introduced H.R.10448, the **Combating Loneliness Act**, on December 17, 2024, authorizing **$100 million** from FY 2025-2029 for initiatives including a HHS working group to standardize loneliness measurements and a GAO study on social isolation impacts, amid apps' vows to foster friendships.[2] AARP endorsed the related **Improving Measurements for Loneliness and Isolation Act** on February 25, calling it “an important step” to combat the epidemic disproportionately hitting older adults, linked to **$6.7 billion** extra annual Medicare costs.[1] Meanwhile, Minnesot

**NEWS UPDATE: Friendship Apps Surge Amid Loneliness Epidemic Draws Mixed Consumer Embrace** Consumers have driven over a dozen U.S. friendship apps to **$16 million in spending** and **4.3 million downloads** in 2025, with **75% of AI friend app users** reporting feeling emotionally supported and less lonely after regular use[2][5]. Young adults, facing **61% serious loneliness rates**, show strong uptake, as **two-thirds of Gen Z** report meeting new friends online per a 2023 Bumble survey, though some voice anxieties like "How soon after meeting do I text them?" over unclear norms[1][6]. Critics note potential risks, with AI companions linked to higher depression i

**Friendship apps like Bumble BFF, Timeleft, and Meet5 have surged amid the loneliness epidemic, generating $16 million in U.S. consumer spending and 4.3 million downloads in 2025 alone, leveraging algorithms akin to dating platforms but tuned for lower-stakes platonic matches based on shared interests and local events pulled from sources like Ticketmaster.** Technically, these apps address barriers highlighted in Jeffrey Hall's studies—requiring 50 hours for casual friendship and 90 for deeper bonds—by using AI for precise matching, with 75% of AI friend app users reporting reduced loneliness after regular use[1][2][5]. Implications include reshaping digital connection norms, though risks persist like AI companions fosterin

**Friendship apps have surged globally amid a loneliness crisis, generating $16 million in U.S. consumer spending and 4.3 million downloads in 2025 alone, with similar trends emerging internationally through apps like Europe's Les Amis and Clyx in London.** These platforms target vulnerable groups, including women, transgender, and LGBTQ+ individuals, using AI for cross-city matching, as 61% of U.S. young adults and one in six Americans report chronic isolation per 2025 Pew data—mirroring rises in Europe where one-third of 19-29-year-olds feel lonely post-COVID.[1][2][3][5][6] Policymakers worldwide are responding by framing loneliness as a public health issue, wit

**NEWS UPDATE: Apps Vowed to Forge New Friendships Amid Loneliness Surge** Amid a loneliness epidemic affecting 57% of Gen Z adults and 4 in 10 U.S. adults over 45, apps like WhatsApp are bucking the trend by reducing isolation through active messaging, unlike passive platforms such as YouTube and Reddit that experts link to heightened loneliness.[2][3][4] Baylor researcher James A. Roberts warns of a "continuous feedback loop" where "lonely people turn to social media... but it merely fans the flames of loneliness," urging industry shifts toward quality interactions over endless scrolling.[1] WHO's Alana Officer emphasizes that frequent social media use fosters "unhealthy social comparisons" and "phubbing,"

Friendship apps are surging globally amid a loneliness crisis, with U.S. platforms alone generating **$16 million** in consumer spending and **4.3 million downloads** in 2025, while a Bertelsmann Stiftung study shows **57% of young Europeans** feeling moderately or severely lonely[2][5][6]. Internationally, apps like Les Amis use AI to match women, transgender, and LGBTQ+ users across European cities, and Clyx connects event-goers in London and Miami, as **two-thirds of Gen Z** report making new friends online per a 2023 Bumble survey[2][6]. "Friendship apps are not a trend; they are a distinct category... reshaping how friendshi

**NEWS UPDATE: Apps Vowed to Forge New Friendships Amid Loneliness Surge** Investors poured into loneliness-combating apps today, with Papa securing over **$240 million** in funding to connect seniors with companions, signaling robust market confidence in the sector projected to top **$500 billion by 2030** amid AI-driven growth.[1] Pie followed suit, raising **$24 million** while boasting **20,000 active users** for its IRL event platform, as Timeleft expanded to **27,000 weekly users** across **300 cities in 62 countries**.[1] No immediate public stock price spikes were reported for parent tech giants like Meta, despite Zuckerberg's vision of AI friends dominating amid surging Gen Z isolatio

**NEWS UPDATE: Friendship Apps Spark Hope Amid Loneliness Backlash** Consumers are flocking to friendship apps like Bumble BFF and Timeleft, driving 4.3 million downloads and $16 million in U.S. spending in 2025, with 75% of AI friend app users reporting feeling emotionally supported and less lonely.[2][5] Yet public reaction mixes optimism—"These platforms are filling a gap," notes one analyst—with concerns over AI companions fostering isolation, as a 2025 Pew survey found one in six Americans chronically lonely and studies link heavy use to depression risks.[3] Young adults, hit hardest at 61% reporting serious loneliness, show strong uptake despite calls for real-world bonds over digital fixes.[

**Friendship apps, surging amid a global loneliness epidemic, have generated $16 million in U.S. consumer spending and 4.3 million downloads in 2025 alone, with AI variants reporting 75% of users feeling less lonely.** Internationally, 57% of young Europeans report moderate to severe loneliness per Bertelsmann Stiftung, spurring apps like Les Amis for LGBTQ+ matching across cities and Clyx for events in London, while 61% of U.S. young adults echo the crisis. "Friendship apps are not a trend; they are a distinct category reshaping connection in a digital-heavy world," notes industry analysis[2][5][6].

**NEWS UPDATE: Friendship Apps' Algorithms Face Scrutiny Amid Loneliness Surge** Friendship apps like Bumble BFF, Timeleft, and Meet5 have surged to **4.3 million downloads** and **$16 million in U.S. consumer spending** in 2025, deploying AI matching akin to dating platforms but targeting shared interests and local events via data from Ticketmaster and TikTok[2][5]. Technical analyses highlight efficacy challenges, with a University of Kansas study requiring **50 hours for casual friendships** and **90 hours for closer bonds**, raising doubts on whether algorithm-driven swipes overcome users' anxiety spirals without sustained real-world interaction[1]. Implications include a **75% user-reported drop in loneliness** fro