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

This new "social experiment" is the work of a biotech company that says it is aiming to bridge generational gaps and improve happiness.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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A biotech company called Matter Neuroscience has set up a "call a boomer" phone line, with one phone located near Boston University in Brookline, Massachusetts and another in the lobby of an affordable housing building for seniors in Reno, Nevada. The goal is to encourage meaningful conversations between younger and older adults to help overcome generational divides and loneliness.

Why it matters

Younger and older adults often experience high levels of loneliness, so this project aims to foster connections and understanding across generations. By choosing locations in a liberal city (Boston) and a conservative one (Abilene, Texas for an earlier version), the company also hopes to bridge political divides.

The details

The phones are free to use, and if no one picks up on the other end, users can leave voicemails. The conversations are being recorded, and Matter plans to use snippets on social media. Earlier versions of the project in San Francisco and Abilene resulted in over 250 conversations and 350 voicemails.

  • The phone was installed outside the Pavement Coffeehouse in Brookline, Massachusetts last weekend.
  • Matter entered into an agreement with Pavement to host the phone for an initial one-month period, after which they will evaluate its popularity and potentially extend the duration.

The players

Matter Neuroscience

A biotech company that created the "call a boomer" phone line as a "social experiment" to bridge generational gaps and improve happiness.

Calla Kessler

A social strategist for Matter Neuroscience who says the goal is to inspire generational connection through meaningful conversations.

Volunteers of America

The organization that runs Sierra Manor, the affordable housing building for seniors in Reno, Nevada where one of the "call a boomer" phones is located.

Pavement Coffeehouse

The coffee shop in Brookline, Massachusetts that is hosting the "call a boomer" phone near the Boston University campus.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Calla Kessler, Social Strategist, Matter Neuroscience

What’s next

Matter will evaluate the popularity of the "call a boomer" phone line in Brookline after the initial one-month period and decide whether to extend its duration.

The takeaway

This novel "call a boomer" phone line experiment aims to bridge generational divides and combat loneliness by encouraging meaningful conversations between younger and older adults, even across political differences, in the hopes of fostering greater understanding and connection.