An old-school payphone in Boston is helping Gen Z fight loneliness by letting them 'call a Boomer'

Loneliness is a plight that doesn’t spare any age. Luckily, you also don’t need to be in a specific age group to connect with people. Boston University kicked off 2026 by fighting off this loneliness with a rather retro theme — the “Call a Boomer” payphone, as per CBS News' March 11 report.

Stationed for the Zoomers — the Gen Zers and anyone else, really — it encourages them to reach out to an elderly person for advice, wisdom, stories, or just a chat. Connecting with the elderly thousand miles away, this simple payphone is wrapping communication and kindness in a bundle of love, one call at a time.

The equipment came from Facebook Marketplace by the initiators, Matter Neuroscience, as shared in a post. While one payphone stands at the campus of the university, the other is stationed at a senior living facility in Reno, Nevada. When a student calls, an elderly person answers, and if there's no one at the other end, students leave heartfelt messages for the lucky recipient.

A student named Kyra shared how she enjoys breaking the loneliness chain with a simple phone call. “I love it. I mean, I think younger people and older people, I would argue, need to talk to each other more," she remarked. 

Calla Kessler of Matter Neuroscience, who is part of the team that initiated the project, believes that generations need to be more in touch with each other. "We believe in connection over cortisol,” she said. She added that the boomers and zoomers are the “loneliest” demographic out there, according to FOX News.

“The project aims to prove that on a molecular level, ‘humans need one another to be happy,’” she explained. In a post shared on March 17, a recorded conversation between Boomer April and Zoomer Charlotte warmed hearts. After discussing the idea of the payphone and the weather, they went on to have a casual conversation. “What are you doing today?” April asked. 

The Gen Zer explained that she finished class and was headed to a coffee shop when they stumbled across the payphone and gave it a shot. “It’s great,” the elderly woman said. She then sweetly asked Charlotte if she had any advice to better connect with her generation. “I think that everybody should get off their phones and go outside,” and this response was immediately met with an enthusiastic “Amen!” from April.

When she flipped the question, April shared something significant. “I think just smile through pain,” she advised. “A smile goes far,” she added. The call concluded, but the smiles, the laughs, and that boost of joy from within stayed with both April and Charlotte. 

Several other conversations are recorded on the team’s page, and it really makes you want to step out and just make a call.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shared by BBC News revealed that GenZers (those aged 16 -29) reported the highest percentage of loneliness (33%). This was followed by 17% of the elderly over the age of 70.

Prof. Andrea Wigfield, director of the Centre for Loneliness Studies at Sheffield Hallam University, noted, “Adults between 18 and 24 are the most lonely — followed by older people.”

Prof. Richard Weissbourd, a lecturer in education at Harvard University, noted that loneliness stems from the “failure to care for each other.” And so, even though thousands of miles apart, these payphones are helping extend that care one call at a time. The project is going strong.

As of a post shared in January, the team is also setting up payphones in California, Dallas, and other spaces. It’s no longer a project just for the elderly and the youngsters, but also for all citizens. Viewers also loved this idea and wished they had a booth like this too. 

@dirrtydev_ said, "Just yapping about the weather is such a human experience.” @feelinghomefrance said, “What a wonderful project that is. I wish they were all over the world!”

You can follow Matter Neuroscience (@matterneuroscience) for more content on mental health and well-being.

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