Hello, this is Everything Else, the FT Culture Podcast.

I'm Al.

And I'm Grizz.

This week we're talking about loneliness.

Are we lonelier than ever?

And later I'll be speaking to Lawrence Scott, thinker, broadcaster, and author of

Picnic, comma, Lightning in Search of a New Real.

So, Al, why are you talking about loneliness this week? Because I'm lonely.

I'm sorry to hear that.

But you are the cause of my loneliness, as you know.

No, let's not talk about who's being invited to your wedding.

Let's move on.

Chris, why are we talking about loneliness?

So it may seem counterintuitive to be talking about loneliness when this episode is published. I'll be on my honeymoon,

in fact, and you know, you'll be surrounded by your loving family and your new baby. And of course,

neither are us as lonely. Looking at all your wedding photos on Facebook, wishing I had made the cut.

Feeling sad.

But no, so talking of sad, seasonal affective disorder is not actually just something that happens in winter, apparently.

You can get, you know, kind of summertime sadness in the words of Lana Daray.

Season of weddings, yeah. Exactly. You feel left out. Yes, phomo. That's what I've got. You've got FOMO. There's no longer fear of missing out, it's just missing out, isn't it? It's Mo. So is that the only reason why we're talking about loneliness? No, it's not the only reason. I mean, loneliness is on the rise, apparently.

More people feel lonely.

But, I mean, I think people have always felt lonely.

...