New project claims to help ‘loneliest generations’, all with a tool you probably haven’t seen in decades
Ok, Boomer, meet Zoomer.
A bright yellow payphone has popped up on a bustling Boston sidewalk, inviting passersby to “Call a Boomer” in a new social experiment aiming to bridge generational divides. This isn’t just a quirky art installation; it’s part of a project designed to tackle loneliness by getting strangers to chat. Nearly 3,000 miles away in Reno, Nevada, an almost identical phone sits in Sierra Manor, a senior apartment complex, prompting residents to “Call a Zoomer.”
According to Fox News, the ‘Call a Boomer’ initiative is the brainchild of Matter Neuroscience, a New York-based company that’s all about mapping the “biomarkers of happiness.” Their goal here is pretty straightforward: connecting two demographics that often feel the most isolated – older adults and younger adults. It’s a sweet idea, proving that on a molecular level, we really do need each other to feel good.
Matter Neuroscience highlights that both younger and older adults tend to experience the highest levels of loneliness compared to other age groups. The whole point of this project is to foster genuine generational connection through meaningful conversations, even if there are differences in age, lifestyle, or even politics.
It’s about finding common ground — something we could all use a bit more of these days
Calla Kessler, a social strategist at Matter Neuroscience, hopes these calls will help our brains shift focus from stress to bonding. She explained the neuroscience behind it, noting that they are looking at “cannabinoids over cortisol.”
Cannabinoids are those feel-good neurotransmitters in our brains that give us that warm, fuzzy feeling of friendship. When you activate them, you’re essentially counteracting the negative effects of cortisol, which is our body’s primary stress hormone.
This isn’t Matter Neuroscience’s first foray into these unique payphone connections. Their initial experiment linked San Francisco, one of the most liberal cities in the US, with Abilene, Texas, a considerably more conservative one. Kessler mentioned that they simply wanted people to discover common ground and encourage them to look past superficial labels.
The results from that first experiment were incredibly positive. Kessler shared that the negative outcomes were “almost negligible,” with the vast majority of participants really enjoying their conversations with different people. It’s encouraging to hear that when given the chance, people are willing to connect and find shared humanity.
With the success of their previous project, Matter Neuroscience has now shifted its focus from political labels to bridging generational divides. The Call a Boomer experiment is currently underway, and the team is busy collecting audio files of these intergenerational chats. They believe these simple human connections can genuinely improve mental health.
Kessler added that their research is essentially trying to pinpoint a “non-pharmaceutical cure to depression.” It’s a bold and ambitious goal, but one that feels incredibly relevant given the mental health challenges many face today. Looking ahead, Kessler hinted that we can expect “fun things that we hope get people’s attention and inspire them to learn a little more about themselves.”
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