We live in a world where we can shop, work, learn and be entertained online without interacting with another person.
It is hugely convenient.
But it also raises an important question.
What is the cost?
Because despite all this convenience, loneliness is rising.
Almost 1 in 4 adults in Great Britain report feeling lonely often, always or some of the time (ONS, 2026).
And it is not just adults.
Children are growing up in an increasingly digital-first world. Ofcom’s latest research shows smartphone ownership rises sharply from 56% of 10-year-olds to 83% of 11-year-olds.
Technology brings extraordinary opportunities for children to learn, explore and stay connected. But it also makes the opportunities we create for real-life play, conversation, creativity and connection increasingly important.
We have never been more digitally connected, yet many people, children and adults alike, have never felt more disconnected in real life.
And that raises an important question for all of us in business, and particularly in franchising:
Are we creating enough real opportunities for people to connect?
Not just to communicate. To connect.
To laugh together. Make things together. Learn together. Share experiences, ideas and stories. To feel that they belong.
Our world is changing
Education is evolving, with growing recognition that young people need more than knowledge. They need confidence, communication, problem-solving, imagination, resilience and opportunities to work with others.
Families are increasingly valuing experiences they can enjoy together.
Adults are looking for ways to step away from daily pressures, meet people, learn something new, unwind and have fun.
Businesses are thinking more deeply about culture and belonging, particularly when colleagues no longer share the same physical space.
At the other end of life, we have an ageing population. Living longer is something to celebrate, but it also raises questions about purpose, wellbeing and how we remain connected and valued throughout our lives.
Different generations. Different needs.
But one very human thread runs through them all.
We need meaningful connection.
Sometimes people simply need a reason to come together
One of the things I have learnt through more than twenty-five years of running a creative business is that the activity itself is often only part of what is happening.
A child may come to a creative holiday camp, but they are also building confidence and chatting to the children beside them.
A parent and child may come for an activity, but what they are really creating is time together.
Adults may arrive saying, “I am not creative”, and soon they are laughing, talking and sharing ideas with people they may never otherwise have met.
For older people, a creative activity can spark memories, conversations and new friendships.
The creativity gives people a reason to gather.
The magic is what happens between them once they do.
Of course, creativity is not the only way to achieve this. Sport, food, music, learning, wellbeing, hobbies and shared interests all give us reasons to come together.
When I think back to activities I have joined with friends, family, or even turned up to by myself, it is often not the activity I remember most.
It is the laughter, the conversations and the people.
Think about some of your favourite experiences. Is not it often the people you shared them with that made them special?
That is why I believe something powerful is emerging within what we might call the connection economy.
People are not simply choosing what to buy.
Increasingly, they are choosing how they want to feel and who they want to share their time with.
It goes beyond the experience itself.
It is about connection.
Franchising has an important role to play
I know the franchising sector is already helping communities connect in so many ways.
Great franchises combine the strength of a trusted national brand with the humanity of being part of a local community.
Franchisees know the schools, businesses, families, groups and organisations around them.
They are close enough to understand what people need, while having the ideas, systems, resources and support of a wider brand behind them.
At The Creation Station, we have seen this across children’s activities, schools, family experiences, adult events, workplaces, care settings and intergenerational activities.
The audiences may look very different.
The human need does not.
Perhaps we need to ask a different question
As business leaders, we naturally ask:
How do we become more efficient?
How can technology help us?
How do we grow?
All important questions.
But i think there is another worth adding:
How does our business make life better for the people it brings together?
Technology will continue to make life faster, easier and more automated. And that brings huge opportunities.
But technology cannot replace the feeling of being welcomed into a room.
Of laughing with someone.
Of being listened to.
Of making something together.
Of belonging.
So perhaps the future is not simply about creating more products, more services or more digital touchpoints.
Perhaps it is also about creating more reasons for people to come together.
To participate.
To contribute.
To have fun.
And yes, sometimes to create something slightly wonky together.
And that is what makes the difference.
Perhaps, in an increasingly digital world, that matters more than ever.
