‘Call a Boomer’ payphones help cure loneliness and create cross-generational friendships
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Along a bustling Boston sidewalk, a bright yellow payphone invites people to “call a Boomer.”
Nearly 3,000 miles away, in Reno, Nevada, a nearly identical phone asks residents of Sierra Manor, a senior apartment complex, to “call a Zoomer.” The goal is simple: get strangers talking to each other.
The project, often referred to simply as “Call a Boomer,” is the latest initiative from Matter Neuroscience, a New York-based company dedicated to mapping “biomarkers of happiness.”
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By connecting “two of the loneliest demographics” (older adults and younger adults), the project aims to demonstrate that, at a molecular level, “humans need each other to be happy,” according to Calla Kessler, social strategist at Matter Neuroscience.
Along a bustling Boston sidewalk, a bright yellow payphone invites people to “Call a Boom.” (Subject Neuroscience)
“Young adults and older adults tend to experience the highest levels of loneliness of any age group,” the company wrote on its website. “So the goal of this project is to inspire generational connection through meaningful conversations, despite differences in age, lifestyle or politics.”
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The hope, according to Kessler, is that the calls will shift the brain’s focus from stress to bonding.
“Our neuroscience angle is cannabinoids on cortisol,” Kessler told News Digital. “Cannabinoids are the feel-good neurotransmitter in our brain that creates that warm feeling with a friendship, and when you activate cannabinoids, you’re counteracting the negative effects of cortisol, which is our main stress hormone.”
“Young adults and older adults tend to experience the highest levels of loneliness of any age group,” the company noted. (Subject Neuroscience)
This isn’t Matter’s first round of payphones. Their initial experiment connected one of the most liberal cities in the United States (San Francisco) with one of the most conservative (Abilene, Texas).
“Basically, we just wanted people to find common ground and encourage them to think beyond labels,” Kessler said.
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He noted that the negative results were “almost negligible,” and most participants enjoyed their time talking to different people.
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Now, the focus has shifted from political labels to generational divisions.
Negative results have been “almost negligible,” and most participants enjoyed their time talking to different people. (Subject Neuroscience)
As the “Call a Boomer” experiment continues, the team is busy collecting audio files of these intergenerational chats to demonstrate that simple connections with other humans can help improve mental health.
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“Our research is basically trying to find a non-pharmaceutical cure for depression,” Kessler added.
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Looking ahead, he said, “we’ll definitely do fun things that we hope will catch people’s attention and inspire them to learn a little more about themselves.”
Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant at News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of topics including food and drink, travel and health.