1 in 20 young people today report having zero close friends

A heartbreaking stat—up 5x since 2014—that we simply can't ignore...

When I was younger, our weekend crew was over 30 people deep!
We used to struggle just getting into pubs because we were such a massive group.

Out of those 30, there was an inner core of just 5 of us who would stay up until sunrise talking about everything.

Over time, life shifted, the group split into smaller circles, and today I'm the only one left from that original inner 5. I had to step out of my comfort zone and build new relationships from scratch.

I deeply miss those authentic group dynamics.
Today, we’ve replaced real-world gathering spots with group chats and social feeds. The result? More anxiety, more isolation, and fewer real connections.

I refuse to accept this as our default future.

At Ower, our mission goes way beyond travel: we design real-world spaces and communities where people can break out of isolation and build genuine, lasting friendships.

We’re building a dedicated community to bring people together for real conversations in the real world.

Over to you:
What formats or spaces do you think work best today to foster safe, real-world connections?
If you’re a community builder, thinker, or creator working on the loneliness epidemic, let’s talk in the comments!