“Call a Boomer” – Payphone at Boston University connects Boomers and Zoomers
Loneliness is a public health crisis in America, and a payphone connecting college students in Boston to retirees in Reno is one attempt to address it.
Not everything needs an app, a subscription, or a notification. Sometimes, a simple phone call is all it takes to connect with someone. That’s the idea behind a special payphone near Boston University called “Call a Boomer.” This unique setup allows you to call another payphone located in a senior living community all the way in Reno, Nevada. There’s no need for internet access or setting up an account, just two people from different stages of life having a conversation.
What concept
Social isolation has become a public health concern in the United States, and the numbers back that up. According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory, roughly half of American adults experience loneliness. This problem particularly affects older adults and young people aged 15 to 24. These are not groups typically discussed together in conversation, which is why the idea of connecting both generations is something appreciable.
The payphone, labelled as “Call a boomer”, placed along a busy stretch on a college campus in Boston, MA, has directions painted in blue. When a Zoomer picks up the phone and dials, they are connected to a senior living community in Reno, Nevada.
When a CBS News Boston reporter tested the phone, a woman who had grown up in New Hampshire and later retired to Reno answered. She was excited to speak with someone from back home. Their conversation was short, but it showed two strangers, 3,000 miles apart, becoming a little more familiar with each other.
The company behind the project, Matter Neuroscience, wants to help people feel happier and make real connections with one another. They notice that both older adults and young people often feel lonely and don’t have many opportunities to talk to one another. “We are often in our little bubbles, and we have a lot to learn from each other, despite our differences,” says Calla Kessler from Matter Neuroscience. The startup aims to expand this project nationwide if it’s successful.
While this initiative won’t end loneliness overnight, it can help foster genuine connections. In a polarized world, even a simple connection can make a huge difference for many people.
Reactions
The video gained significant online attention, with many viewers sharing their thoughts. Several people expressed how touched they were by the idea behind it. One commenter said, “I absolutely love this idea. I am the caregiver for my elderly grandparents, and I really enjoy listening to their stories.” Many younger people already have meaningful relationships with older adults they know, and when given such spaces to talk, those conversations can lead to valuable exchanges.
Looking further ahead, one millennial wrote, “This better extend nationwide by the time we Millennials are in homes.” Many are concerned about aging in a society that has already struggled to take care of its elderly population, and whether programs like this will actually be around when the next wave of older adults needs them.
However, not everyone feels the format is effective in the long run. One commenter raised a fair concern: “The conversation is gonna be incredibly short. Is that really going to help someone who’s lonely? It’s almost like giving them a taste of friendship for 60 seconds and then taking it away, might make it actually worse.” This brings up a good question about whether a brief chat helps or leaves someone feeling even more isolated as the project grows nationwide.
Another commenter joked about the payphone saying new generation won’t even know about it, “Gen Z were raised off the internet, they’re not gonna know what this is.”
On a more cautious note, one person flagged a concern about safety: “This is a loophole for criminals to target seniors.” Given how often older adults are targeted in scams and predatory schemes, it would be helpful to address how the system is moderated and kept safe.
Why this matters
Phones used to be just for talking, but now, most of our communication happens through a screen in short bursts of text, memes, or voice notes. People spend hours on their devices each day, but they rarely engage in conversations with people outside their immediate circle. People might assume that the technology, and especially social media, has made us more connected than ever. But for many, it has done the opposite.
We also need to think about what we lose when different generations stop talking to one another. Older adults carry decades of experience, stories, and perspective to share. Meanwhile, younger people are navigating a world that is changing faster than any previous generation had to manage. Both generations have valuable insights to share, and they can learn a lot from one another through meaningful conversation, even if that means using a public phone.
The idea of a payphone that connects people across long distances, like from Boston to Reno, might seem like a small thing, but it addresses a significant need. Regardless of whether this particular idea becomes popular, the question it is asking is one worth sitting with: when was the last time you had a real conversation with someone you did not already know?
