A British man who posted a video online saying he has no friends has said his mind has been blown by its impact.
Recruitment firm CEO Mark Gaisford posted the video on professional networking website LinkedIn in November.
It has now received more than one million views and nearly 30,000 interactions.
In the video, he discusses his own loneliness and makes an effort to meet new people.
The 52-year-old also wrote a follow-up piece for British newspaper The Mail on Sunday last weekend, saying that his wife works away at weekends and his children have left home.
He said he recently bought two tickets to a rugby match, but could not find anyone to go with, so ended up watching it on television instead.
Market research firm YouGov published a study in September saying 28% of people in Britain say they do not have a best friend, while 15% said they have no close friends and 8% that they have no friends at all.
In November a Danish study suggested patients hospitalised for heart problems may be at greater risk of dying within a year of discharge when they live alone or feel lonely.
The journal Heart also found living alone was also associated with a 39% higher risk of cardiac events like heart attack during the follow-up period, among men only.
Previous studies indicate that women have larger social networks than men, so separation, divorce, or the death of a partner may disadvantage men more, the researchers wrote.
Gaisford said he has received messages from all around the world after posting the video. He thinks it has struck a chord because it is a widespread problem for many people.
He recommends that people find socialising groups online.
"You've got to be a little bit brave. I think you've got to put yourself out there," he said.
