Research

Research & Insights

Peer-reviewed findings on loneliness, friendship formation, and digital connection, synthesized into clear, actionable insights.

Research

Can Doctors Prescribe Friendship? What the Evidence on Social Prescribing Actually Shows

England now makes 1.3 million social prescribing referrals per year. A deep look at what controlled studies, systematic reviews, and a 12-country comparison reveal about whether this works.

May 8, 2026 11 min read

Research

What Happens When You Actually Quit Social Media? The Experimental Evidence

Three meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials now exist on social media restriction. The results are real — and more complicated than either side of the debate wants to admit.

May 4, 2026 12 min read

Research

What Loneliness Does to Your Body: The Biology Behind Social Pain

Your body treats loneliness as a physical emergency. From brain scans showing social pain to gene expression changes in immune cells, the biology of disconnection is more concrete than most people realize.

Apr 25, 2026 11 min read

Research

Can AI Replace Human Connection? What the Research Actually Shows

AI companion apps have surged 700% in three years, promising to ease loneliness. Multiple new studies — including a four-week MIT/OpenAI controlled trial — suggest the reality is far more complicated.

Apr 22, 2026 12 min read

Research

Does Loneliness Cause Depression? What Five Lines of Evidence Actually Show

Lonely people are three times more likely to be depressed. But does loneliness cause depression — or just accompany it? A careful look at the strongest evidence, from 12-year cohort studies to genetic analysis.

Apr 20, 2026 11 min read

Research

When Money Keeps People Apart: The Research on Financial Strain and Social Isolation

New research reveals that two-thirds of Americans have skipped social events they couldn't afford — and most never told anyone why. What the evidence shows about the financial roots of loneliness.

Apr 12, 2026 10 min read

Research

What Actually Works to Reduce Loneliness? What 280 Studies Tell Us

A new meta-analysis of 280 studies reveals which loneliness interventions work, which don't, and why the answer is more complicated than "just go socialize."

Apr 4, 2026 11 min read