A recent survey found that nearly half of Americans always or sometimes feel alone (46%) or left out (47%). Over half—54%—feel that no one knows them well. Across the Atlantic, half of Brits over 65 consider the television or a pet to be their main source of company.

Research has shown that “third places”—communal gathering spots that aren’t your home or office—are critical to social connection.

Today, people have fewer places to congregate, converse, and find belonging.

For thousands of years, humans lived in tribes that defined kinship not as something biological, but as something you create.

From 1970 to 2012, the share of households consisting of married couples with kids was cut in half. Single-person households rose from 13% to 28%. A century ago, 75% of Americans older than 65 lived with relatives; by 1990, only 18% did.

If the last 50 years saw a shift to the individual, the next 50 will see a shift to the collective—and digital connections will be the driving force of that sea change.

Social eating and livestream sleeping both reflect the internet’s shift to authenticity and always-on creation / consumption. The lines between the physical and digital dissolve, and online friends become as important as real-world friends.

Relatability has become the heart of a creator’s appeal, a far cry from the aspiration and elusiveness desired in celebrities of past eras

every consumer company is built on a few core human needs, and those needs don’t change much over time.

If the 2010s were about people’s need for “status” online—manifesting in curated Instagram feeds and filtered selfies—then the 2020s are about people’s need for “belonging”.

Bilibili is essentially a hub for interest-based communities. It originated as a place for anime enthusiasts, but has since expanded to music, dance, science, film, fashion, and more. Bilibili is built on a trifecta that elegantly captures the future of consumer internet companies: user-generated content, commerce, and community.

But what’s most unique about Bilibili is how engaged and retentive its communities are. Bilibili achieves this by building friction into community. In order to join a Bilibili community, users must pass a 100-question test.

Building in friction means that communities are comprised only of superfans; 80% of users retain after 12 months.

Every aspect of the economy is becoming more community-centric.

The best education companies, meanwhile, will build community into their product.

In every sector, people are clamoring for human interaction and meaningful connection. Pieces of the economy that have historically been solitary are instead emphasizing solidarity.

Friendship accounts for 60% of the difference in happiness between people, and studies have shown that one of the key markers for midlife satisfaction is being able to rattle off the names of a few close friends.

people will discover connections with strangers through AI-powered platforms like TikTok and Clubhouse. These are the platforms that connect us with strangers and that create communities around us that we didn’t even know we craved belonging to.

experts emphasize that a central component of a third-place social ecosystem is familiarity, but not intimacy.

The best internet companies will be built to help people discover and nurture these online relationships.