I heard that in America people feel more lonely than in other parts of the world...
I don't live in America and I'll use America as an example but it's pretty much the same all over the world now....
from what I read on the subject when people became less religious and left the Church they became more lonely and anxious. On one hand people wanted the 'every man for himself' approach but that came with a price....
It also has to do with the transfer from rural areas\ villages to the city.
When most people lived in rural areas or villages and worked on farms there was more of a community and people helped each other.
with the move to the big cities and with the 'every man for himself' approach people became more lonely and anxious. So some people did make more money and maybe lived a better life
from a materialistic point of view- but it did come with a price.
the better life (from a materialistic point of view) is something that can change esp. in today's day and age where the economy is so fragile. So with the every man for himself
attitude the fear from the future is much more dominant.
Since people don't live in communities anymore the feeling of loneliness is felt more and maybe that is another reason people are more obsessed with the opposite sex- maybe living in the city without a community and with the 'every man for himself' approach is not natural after all....
just a thought