New 'call a boomer' phone line connects young people in Boston to seniors in Nevada

"Younger adults and older adults tend to experience the highest levels of loneliness of any age group, so the goal of this project is to inspire generational connection through meaningful conversations, despite differences in age, lifestyle, or politics."

"The idea, cooked up by the biotech company Matter Neuroscience, is simple. One phone sits on the streets of Boston (OK, technically, Brookline), available for anyone to use. Another phone sits in the lobby of Sierra Manor, an affordable housing building for seniors in Reno, Nevada. Interested users on either end can pick up the phone, automatically dialing the counterpart on the other side of the country."

"Earlier this year, Matter set up a phone in San Francisco and another in Abilene, Texas. The company specifically chose a predominantly liberal city and a very conservative one. Its goal was to connect people across the political spectrum, encouraging them to overcome polarization and find common ground."

Matter Neuroscience launched a social experiment placing free phones in public locations to connect people across geographic and generational divides. Yellow phone booths in Brookline, Massachusetts and Reno, Nevada allow users to call strangers on the opposite coast, with voicemail options available. The initiative targets younger and older adults, who experience the highest loneliness rates. Conversations are recorded for social media content. The company previously tested the concept in San Francisco and Abilene, Texas, focusing on political polarization and generating over 250 conversations. The current phase emphasizes generational connection rather than political differences.

Read at Boston.com