ByLine Times: The Lure of... Loneliness

2 February 2026

The Lure of... Loneliness.

Intimate, open conversations where Byline Times contributors, readers, and supporters – along with anyone curious – come together to explore the forces shaping life in an increasingly fractured world.

In recent years, loneliness has moved from a private feeling to a widely discussed social condition. Research shows that social circles are shrinking, particularly among younger people, even as digital platforms promise constant connection. Many of us spend more time online than ever, yet feel increasingly disconnected.

At the same time, the everyday places that once brought people together – community venues, clubs, local institutions – have quietly disappeared or become harder to access. The result is a growing sense that we’ve become disconnected, not just from one another, but from shared civic and cultural life.

This event opened up a thoughtful discussion about why loneliness has become such a powerful force, what draws us toward solitude and digital echo chambers, how hateful ideologies spawn from our fragmentation, and what might help rebuild meaningful connections in an age of atomisation.

Byline Times Editor-in-Chief Hardeep Matharu and Co-Founder Peter Jukes were joined by:

 

 Iain Overton is an award-winning investigative journalist and author who has written extensively about loneliness in the era of social media and artificial intelligence. 

 

 
Jay Griffiths is a writer, cultural critic, and author whose work explores ecology, politics, freedom, and resistance to authoritarianism. 
 

 

  
Clare Farrell is co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, fashion designer and convenor at the Humanity Project – which works to create a new democratic culture in the UK.

 Maff Potts from Camerados - a company who set up living rooms in public spaces to help people feel more connected. Not trying to solve anyone’s problems. Just being a bit more human.

http://www.bylinetimes.com

Held on Monday 2 February at 7:30 pm