Why This ‘Call a Boomer’ Pay Phone Is Getting College Students to Talk to Strangers
In an era dominated by texting, social media and video calls, a biotech startup is going retro to tackle a very modern problem: loneliness.
Matter Neuroscience has installed paired pay phones in two U.S. cities as part of a social experiment designed to connect younger and older generations through live phone conversations. One phone sits outside a coffee shop at Boston University. The other is inside Sierra Manor, a senior housing facility in Reno.
The phones display prompts reading “call a boomer” and “call a zoomer.” When a user picks up either phone, it automatically connects to the other line. Calls are free.
The phones were installed during the first week of March and are expected to remain in place until at least April 9.
Calling the Pay Phone Is a ‘Good Scary’ Experience
For many younger users, picking up a pay phone to call a stranger is a leap into the unknown.
“It was a little nerve-racking,” Boston University sophomore Sadie Cohen told USA TODAY of trying out the phone. “You don’t know if someone’s going to be online immediately, so that impromptu conversation’s kind of scary, but it was good scary.”
The device itself was something new for Cohen.
“I don’t even know if I’ve seen an actual pay phone around, ever,” Cohen added.
But once connections were made, the conversations flowed naturally. Matter Neuroscience recorded conversations between participants, which included discussions about weather, college experiences and where callers are from.
Two Lonely Generations, One Phone Line
The project aims to connect Gen Z and older adults, two groups identified as experiencing high levels of loneliness. Calla Kessler, a social strategist at Matter Neuroscience, told USA TODAY why these demographics were paired:
“They’re two demographics that often are at odds as far as perspectives and just outlooks on the world, and you might not think that they have a lot in common.”
“Being able to connect them and encourage conversation might introduce some positivity in both of their lives, some friendship that’s much needed and a wisdom exchange.”
The exchanges have gone beyond small talk, with callers on both ends finding genuine value in speaking with someone from a different generation.
“There’s definitely an exchange of advice being sought out,” Kessler says. “The younger people want to know what the older people think about life, if they have any words of wisdom.”
The Pay Phone Experiment Shines Light on A Public Health Crisis
The experiment addresses a growing concern about social isolation in the United States. Research cited in the report notes that roughly half of adults experienced loneliness even before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared loneliness a public health crisis, with risks comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Kessler framed the project as a direct response to that reality.
“We live in isolated times, and we need each other. Humans need one another on a molecular level; we’re very social beings at heart,” Kessler says.
Cohen sees the same disconnection playing out daily on campus and beyond.
“Loneliness, I definitely see that around,” Cohen says. “Our society has moved a lot away from in-person social interaction, between the same generation, and then especially across generations.”
Building on a Previous Experiment
The current installation builds on a previous project by Matter Neuroscience that connected callers in San Francisco and Abilene, Texas, through a “party line” format designed to encourage conversations across political differences. That project resulted in more than 350 conversations and 400 voicemails.
Matter Neuroscience said it will continue posting highlights from the conversations on its social media platforms while the installation remains active.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
