Would you rent a friend?

I recently listened to a podcast about renting a friend in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and was rather surprised that such a thing has reached Arab countries.

The girl in the podcast explained how she provides companionship to other girls who come from smaller communities and face loneliness in the big. She explained the rules and regulations of the ‘job’ and the safety precautions she takes.

She talked about how she will always be accompanied by another female friend and her experiences were generally positive. The fee was RO 2 per outing (around $5.20) which is affordable to many people. The service includes going to the cinema with the client or simply have coffee and drive around.

The concept of renting a friend was originally reported in Japan where many people face difficulties making real friends so to defeat loneliness they resorted to renting a friend for a few hours.

Eventually, this became a booming service catering to various clients, from the widower who needed someone to watch TV with, the shy man who could use a dating coach, or the lonely girl longing for a shopping companion.

There is also the occasional young man who is facing intense pressure from his family to find a wife, so he decides to rent a young woman and introduce her to his family as his girlfriend and potential fiancé. The friend rental service is growing in Japan and elsewhere and to keep the experience more positive, users of the services are reminded of two basic rules, no romance, and no lending money.

Shoji Morimoto is a Japanese man who gained media attention for renting himself out to do nothing. Morimoto started offering his services in 2018, where clients could hire him to simply accompany them without engaging in conversation or doing much at all.

His unique service gained popularity, as people appreciated having a silent companion who wouldn’t judge or provide advice, allowing them to experience non-intrusive companionship. Morimoto’s approach was to ‘do nothing’ except be present, and this resonated with many individuals seeking quiet support or presence.

The question remains, why do some people choose to rent a friend rather than make real ones?

One of the possible explanations is that people who rent a friend are experiencing loneliness, social anxiety, or have poor social skills. So to avoid the stigma of having no one attending a wedding or a graduation party they end up paying for others to act as friends or family members.

Other factors include the fast-paced world we live in, where many young people spend long working hours with limited time to go out and meet new people.

The advances in technology have made it easier for people to make virtual friends with whom they can communicate and spend a long time chatting from the comfort of their bedrooms without having to meet in person.

This might affect young people’s abilities to gain social skills and make real friends. Therefore, I will not be surprised to see ‘rent-a-friend' services available in several cities around the world.