We are doing this because friendship saves lives.

Loneliness is not just a feeling, it is a growing public health crisis that quietly affects millions of men.

The World Health Organization now recognises social connection as the third pillar of health alongside diet and exercise, because disconnection kills more people each year than obesity, alcohol or smoking.

In the UK alone, over half of adults say they feel lonely at least occasionally, and one in twelve men have no close friends at all.

Across the world, more than a billion people are living without the support, laughter, or sense of belonging that friendship brings.

Steeev exists to change that: to make it easy for men to build and keep friendships through shared interests, to rediscover the joy of connection, and to make sure no man is left behind.

Loneliness kills: WHO estimates that social disconnection contributes to over 871,000 deaths per year worldwide, more than AIDS, malaria, or breast cancer. (WHO, 2025)

Loneliness increases the risk of early death by 26%, comparable to smoking or obesity. (Loneliness Awareness Week / Holt-Lunstad et al.)

Social isolation raises the risk of heart disease and stroke by 30%. (Loneliness Awareness Week 2024)

People with strong social ties live longer and healthier lives. (WHO Commission on Social Connection 2024)

Loneliness affects all generations but is now described by WHO as a global public health threat. (WHO, 2024)
49.6% of UK adults — around 26 million people — say they feel lonely at least occasionally. (Campaign to End Loneliness 2022)
7.1% (3.8 million) experience chronic loneliness, feeling lonely “often or always.” (ONS 2023)
37% of people living alone feel lonely regularly, compared with 19% of those living with others. (Health Survey for England 2021)

Adults in the lowest income bracket are 50% more likely to experience loneliness than those in higher incomes. (NHS Digital 2021)

A UK “Loneliness Monetisation Report” (Simetrica for DCMS) estimates that severe loneliness has a wellbeing/health/productivity cost of about £9,537 per person per year.

27% of UK adults say they feel lonely always, often, or some of the time. (ONS 2024)

88% of young adults (18–24) report feeling lonely to some degree. (Mental Health Foundation 2021)

According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, stress-related absenteeism attributed to loneliness costs employers an estimated USD 154 billion annually.

In the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory, social isolation and loneliness are framed as a public health concern akin to epidemics.

Loneliness is often argued to be as harmful to health as obesity or smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

The share of Americans with no close friends has quadrupled since 1990 — from 3% to 12%. (American Survey Center 2021 / Harvard Happiness Lab 2025)

Men are now five times more likely than women to report having no close friends. (American Survey Center 2021)

In the UK, 7% of adults have no one they consider a close friend. (YouGov 2023)

55% of Americans say they have two-to-five close friends; 13% say just one; 8% have none. (YouGov 2024)

Only 14% of U.S. adults meet friends in person daily. (CivicScience 2023)

72% of adults with at least one close friend are happy with their social life, compared to just 38% of those with none. (Pew Research 2023)

Among British men aged 35–54, friendship groups typically shrink by more than half between their 20s and 40s. (YouGov / Campaign to End Loneliness 2022)

People with strong cross-class friendships in the UK earn around £5,100 more per year on average. (Behavioural Insights Team 2023)

A report called The cost of disconnected communities suggests that disconnected communities (social isolation) cost the UK economy ~£32 billion per year, including demand on public services, lost productivity, policing, and health costs.

In Britain, people working long hours or hybrid schedules report significantly higher loneliness than those with strong in-person social contact. (ONS 2023)

The WHO highlights that urbanisation, remote work, and digital dependency are major drivers of global social disconnection. (WHO 2024)

Globally, 21.8% of adults report social isolation — up 13% since 2020. (JAMA Network Open 2024)

Lonely adults have 3.6× more stress, 3× more frequent mental distress, and 2.4× more depression than non-lonely adults. (CDC MMWR 2024)

People who report strong friendships show significantly lower anxiety and depression. (Mayo Clinic 2023)

In men, loneliness is strongly linked with substance misuse, suicide risk, and relationship breakdown. (Men’s Health Forum UK 2023)

Loneliness increases dementia risk by 40% in older adults. (WHO 2024)

Supportive friendships lower stress hormones, reduce blood pressure, and improve immune response. (Mayo Clinic 2023)

Meeting friends at least twice a week increases odds of reporting good health by 11–16%. (University of Turin Study 2014)

Friendships formed across social divides promote upward mobility and wellbeing. (Behavioural Insights Team 2023)

Loneliness predicts lower job performance and engagement, costing billions in lost productivity. (Harvard Business Review 2023)

Countries with higher “social capital” have lower mortality, higher trust, and stronger economies. (OECD Better Life Index 2022)

Men aged 35–55 often report the sharpest decline in close friendships as work and family take priority. (Campaign to End Loneliness 2023)

In the UK, 40% of men say they would not feel able to talk to anyone if they were struggling emotionally. (Movember Foundation 2022)

One in five men aged 30–59 say they have lost contact with their closest friend. (Campaign to End Loneliness 2022)

WHO’s Commission on Social Connection calls social connectedness a third pillar of health, alongside diet and exercise. (WHO 2024)