All the lonely people, Where do they all belong? It turns out that “in front of an iPhone” could be the last place Eleanor Rigby and all the other lonely people belong. The authors of a new book on loneliness look at how new devices (from radios to smartphones) impact the way we view and experience loneliness. From ReCode: Bored and lonely? Blame your phone. “The smartphone represents a pretty dramatic shift in our expectations of companionship and entertainment — and a shift in how we respond to feelings like boredom and loneliness. Because of the promises of the digital age, when we experience those feelings, we’re more surprised and alarmed than our ancestors were.”

+ “A recent nationwide survey of 20,000 adults found that nearly half of Americans report feeling alone or left out some or all of the time. What is often missed in the corresponding coverage, says Steve Cole, a genetics researcher at UCLA who frequently collaborated with Cacioppo, is that loneliness is not aloneness. Instead, it’s the subjective feeling that you lack meaningful relationships or a solid support system, an important distinction.” Can co-working spaces, friendship apps, and adult dorms make a dent in a growing problem? A lot of entrepreneurs and investors sure hope so. Vox: The big business of loneliness. (Adult dorms? I’ll stick with the loneliness…)