{
  "id": 1463927,
  "title": "Birding, silent book club, Mahjong and more: America's meetup explosion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/birding-silent-book-club-mahjong-and-more-americas-meetup-explosion",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-17T09:40:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Axios",
    "slug": "axios",
    "url": "https://www.axios.com/2026/08/17/meetup-dating-gen-z-loneliness"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Millennials and Gen Zers are bucking the trend of staying indoors and connecting with others in person - through activities once reserved for solitude. Birdwatching, reading in silence, playing chess and mahjong are just a few of the hobbies that have seen a surge in interest. Cole Robinson, president of the Audubon on Campus Trinity University chapter, believes these soft socializing experiences can help combat loneliness. Eventbrite reports a 151% increase in puzzle competitions and a 94% increase in mahjong-focused events from August 2024 to July 2025 compared to the previous year. While these seemingly solitary activities have gained popularity, they're also being used as a catalyst for romantic connections at \"meet-cute\" events. The trend extends to platonic dinner parties with strangers, as people crave more connection and less time spent scrolling through their phones.",
  "summary": "Young people raised on swiping, DMing and streaming are doing something bold: going out. Why it matters: Amid a loneliness epidemic , millennials and Gen Zers are craving IRL connection — enough to show up for meetups built around activities once considered solitary, or \" grandma hobbies .\" The latest: They're leaving the house to play chess , birdwatch and read in silence together. \"It's very…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}