[supergauntlet]

Don't really follow your logic here, you're conflating prostitution and a "loneliness epidemic"? Prostitution is as old as civilization itself. Older, probably. I don't see rising prostitution as indicative of anything other than 'poor people are low on options'

[komali2]

Almost certainly older than civilization itself - female chimpanzees will trade sex for food. Presumably proto-humans did the same.

[randyrand]

seems obvious to me. Lonely people are more likely to pay for prostitution.

Loneliness is increasing.

So if true, you expect prostitution to go up.