In an interview with podcaster Dwarkesh Patel, Mark Zuckerberg said the average American has fewer than three friends but wants “something like fifteen,” and argued that as AI personalization improves, AI companions will become compelling. Andrew McDiarmid, writing in a New York Post article republished by Mind Matters, criticized the idea, noting Meta has made billions monetizing attention and asking why it shouldn’t monetize loneliness too. He cited US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s 2023 warning of an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, with “One in two adults in America” living with measurable loneliness and higher numbers among young people, pointing to social media and online interactions as a driving factor. He also cited CDC data published last month showing depression prevalence among people age 12 and older nearly doubled in a decade, from 8.2% between 2013 and 2014 to 13.1% between 2021 and 2023. In 2021, The Wall Street Journal revealed Facebook, which owns Instagram, had internal evidence linking Instagram use with poorer mental health, particularly among young women, and buried its findings. McDiarmid argued AI friends won’t help, starting with the fact that they’re not physical.