The Loneliness Economy
There’s big money in disconnection. Entire platforms are built on monetising what people are missing most: real intimacy and a sense of belonging.
One of the most obvious examples is OnlyFans. The streaming site generates billions in annual revenue with fewer than 50 employees. On paper, it’s one of the most profitable businesses in the world.
But let’s be clear: this isn’t just entertainment. It’s an industry built on loneliness.
The numbers tell the story. A handful of creators make fortunes, while the vast majority scrape by. Millions of men pay for subscriptions and private messages, chasing the illusion of connection. That illusion drives nearly three-quarters of the site’s revenue.
And it’s not happening in a vacuum. It’s a reflection of something deeper.
The Price of Disconnection
Humans are wired for connection. We need it as much as food and water. But across the world, those connections are eroding.
Marriage rates are down and community and religious organisations are shrinking. Pubs and cafés, traditionally the “third places” outside of home and work where people used to gather, are vanishing. Technology fills the void, but mostly with scrolling, swiping, and streaming.
The results are devastating. Loneliness can be as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Globally, it’s linked to about 100 deaths an hour. In the U.S., the economic cost of social isolation exceeds $400 billion a year.
For men, the risks are sharper still. Societies with large populations of disconnected young men tend to become more unstable. Instead of forming relationships, many retreat into porn, gaming, or subscription intimacy.
The next wave? AI companions, designed to simulate closeness while deepening isolation.
And loneliness is only part of the story. Stress, burnout, poor sleep and declining physical health are all symptoms of the same modern condition: being cut off from the rituals and relationships that keep us human.
What We Lose
What’s slipping away isn’t just traditional relationships. It’s the everyday moments that shape us: meeting a stranger at a bar, training with a teammate, being challenged by a mentor or getting called out by a friend who knows you best.
Without them, men don’t just become lonelier. They become more stressed, less resilient and more vulnerable to burnout and to radical ideas.
Where Wyld Fire Comes In
We’re building Wyld Fire as a response to this very crisis. We believe healthy living isn’t just about diet or exercise, it’s about reclaiming the full spectrum of wellness: body, mind, and connection.
Against loneliness: we’ve created the “Wyld Ones” community. Outdoor events, hikes, cold dips, and real conversations that give men back the “third place” that’s been lost. “Wyld Ones” is a space to belong, to be challenged, and to be supported.
Against stress: our rituals. From evening wind-downs with natural products to simple practices rooted in nature, these rituals remind men that recovery is strength. Slowing down isn’t weakness: it’s resilience.
Against burnout: we promote balance. Movement, rest, nutrition, and community aren’t luxuries. They’re the foundations of antifragile living.
We don’t believe wellness should be another competition or another performance. It should be a way to live healthier, calmer and stronger lives.
Choosing Connection
We can keep feeding the machine that profits from our isolation. Or we can step outside, breathe, gather, and choose to live differently.
At Wyld Fire, we’re betting on the second path. Because the antidote to stress, loneliness, and burnout isn’t another app or algorithm. It’s us men moving, resting, and reconnecting together.