Along a bustling Boston sidewalk, a bright yellow payphone invites passersby to “call a Boomer.” Nearly 3,000 miles away in Reno, Nevada, an identical phone at Sierra Manor, an apartment complex for seniors, prompts residents to “Call a Zoomer.” The project, called “Call a Boomer,” is the latest initiative from Matter Neuroscience, a New York-based company dedicated to mapping the “biomarkers of happiness” by connecting strangers for meaningful conversations.
Targeting the Loneliest Demographics
The project aims to connect “two of the loneliest demographics”—older adults and younger adults—to prove that “humans need one another in order to be happy” on a molecular level. According to Calla Kessler, a social strategist at Matter Neuroscience, “younger adults and older adults tend to experience the highest levels of loneliness of any age group.” The goal is to inspire generational connection through meaningful conversations despite differences in age, lifestyle, or politics.
The neuroscience behind the project focuses on shifting the brain’s focus from stress to bonding. Kessler explained the mechanism: “Our neuroscience angle is cannabinoids over cortisol.” Cannabinoids are feel-good neurotransmitters that create warm feelings of friendship, while cortisol is the primary stress hormone. By activating cannabinoids, people counteract cortisol’s negative effects.
Earlier Experiments and Future Plans
This is not Matter Neuroscience’s first payphone experiment. The company previously connected one of the most liberal cities in the U.S., San Francisco, with one of the most conservative, Abilene, Texas. Kessler noted that the negative results were “almost negligible,” with most participants enjoying their conversations with people from different political backgrounds. She stated that they “basically just wanted people to find common ground and encourage people to think beyond labels.”
The team is currently collecting audio files of intergenerational conversations to prove that simple human connections can improve mental health. Looking ahead, Kessler said “we’ll definitely be doing fun things that we hope get people’s attention and inspire them to learn a little more about themselves.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.foxnews.com/health/call-boomer-payphones-help-cure-loneliness-spark-friendships-across-generations