根據OpenTable.com的數據，美國餐廳的獨自用餐人數在2025年至2026年間增長了23%，顯示越來越多人偏好獨自進食。作者本身也是獨自用餐的愛好者，他回顧了倫敦一家餐廳曾宣布對單人用餐者收取雙倍費用所引發的爭議，並指出許多餐廳對獨自前來的顧客態度並不友善，這反映出餐飲業尚未充分適應這一日益增長的消費群體。

從經濟角度來看，單人家庭正在全球範圍內快速增長。美國人口普查局2023年的報告顯示，27.6%的家庭為單人戶，而1940年這一比例僅為7.7%。歐盟單人戶佔2025年人口的21.5%，中國約有2.5億單身成年人。日本的比例最為顯著，34%的家庭為單人戶，預計到2040年將達到40%。這種人口結構的轉變正在重新定義「家庭」的概念。

日本在迎合單人消費者——即「御一人樣」（ohitorisama）——方面走在世界前列。單人卡拉OK包廂、單人燒烤店、單人溫泉及單人旅遊（hitoritabi）等業態蓬勃發展，企業紛紛重新調整經營模式以開發這一市場。西方市場也開始借鑑日本經驗，推出如「Me-kend」等針對單人自我照顧的度假套餐。作者將這股趨勢稱為「Me-conomics」（自我經濟學），認為單身生活不再被視為缺陷，而是一種值得投資和經營的生活方式。

Solo dining in US restaurants has surged 23% between 2025 and 2026 according to OpenTable.com, reflecting a growing preference for eating alone. The author, himself a frequent solo diner, recounts the controversy over a London restaurant that threatened to charge single diners double, and notes the broader hostility solo diners often face in the hospitality industry. This tension underscores a gap between shifting consumer habits and the restaurant business model still built around multi-person tables.

The rise of solo dining is rooted in a fundamental demographic shift: single-person households are increasing worldwide. In the US, they now account for 27.6% of all households, up from 7.7% in 1940. The European Union reports 21.5% single-person households, China has roughly 250 million single adults, and Japan leads with 34% of households comprising just one person—a figure projected to reach 40% by 2040. The traditional concept of the household is being redefined as singledom becomes a dominant living arrangement.

Japan has pioneered the 'ohitorisama' economy, catering to solo consumers not merely in dining but across entertainment, travel, and wellness. Businesses have adapted with solo karaoke booths (hitokara), single-person barbecue restaurants, spas, and a dedicated solo travel category called hitoritabi. Western marketers are now adopting these lessons, coining terms like 'Me-kend' for solo self-care holiday packages. The author frames this cultural and commercial movement as 'Me-conomics'—a recognition that singledom is not a deficiency but a lifestyle worth investing in and celebrating.