By Zichang Liu and Julia McCrone, April 29, 2024. Photographs and videos by Zichang Liu and Julia McCrone.
William Yun, a first-year student at Northeastern University, and the two "Brendas" are an unlikely trio. But when the three met earlier this year, it didn't take long for them to bond. They were introduced through one of William's classes that connects college students with older adults, like Brenda Clark and Brenda Howard.
Despite the age gap between them, they sit together around a long table engrossed in conversation every Wednesday. Brenda Howard says they talk to each other about their lives, they talk about William, and they talk about food. The others agree, food is a big topic.
For William, moving to Boston for college felt pretty overwhelming at first, and he credits the Brendas with showing him the ropes. In his words, "It was a nice welcome hug into Boston."
Similar scenes unfold at the surrounding tables as comfortable conversation and laughter fill the air at the Peterborough Senior Center, which sits on a peaceful street in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston. Although half the room’s occupants are college students, and half are older adults, the three friends explain that it isn’t hard to discover common ground. Brenda Howard says, “People think that when you’re a senior you don’t listen to music, you don’t watch movies, but when you listen to [the college students], you realize we basically do the same things.”
"People think that when you’re a senior you don’t listen to music, you don’t watch movies, but when you listen to [the college students], you realize we basically do the same things."
Programs like William's service learning course are one way Northeastern University and other Boston-area colleges integrate academics and community engagement to help address social issues like loneliness and isolation.
The CitySites program, which William and the Brendas take part in, allows older adults to share their life story with college writing students as one of the program’s activities. It and other service learning courses with an intergenerational focus are run in partnership with Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly (LBFE) Boston. LBFE Boston is dedicated to reducing loneliness and social isolation among older adults, and intergenerational engagement is one of the organization's key areas of focus.
An Epidemic of Loneliness and Social Isolation
Loneliness and social isolation, two distinct but interconnected issues, are associated with an increased risk of poor health outcomes. Though long recognized as issues that impact older adults, they can lead to adverse outcomes in individuals of any age.
Since the U.S. Surgeon General declared an epidemic of loneliness and isolation on May 3, 2023, greater attention has been paid to developing solutions to these problems. Experts see intergenerational programming as one promising solution.
Beyond reducing loneliness and social isolation, intergenerational programming can offer a number of other benefits. Dr. Christina Matz, chair of the Older Adults & Families Department and director of the Center on Aging & Work at Boston College says, “Taking an intergenerational approach is a really strong strategy because it can have ripple effects. It addresses feelings of disconnection, and builds community, but also, when people have intergenerational interactions, they're more likely to view their own aging more positively.”
“Taking an intergenerational approach is a really strong strategy because it can have ripple effects. It addresses feelings of disconnection, and builds community, but also, when people have intergenerational interactions, they're more likely to view their own aging more positively.”
A Closer Look at the Problem
What Factors Contribute to Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Older Adults?
According to Dr. Deborah Carr, director of the Center for Innovation in Social Science at Boston University, who studies social factors linked with well-being in later life, two key factors contribute to loneliness and social isolation in older adults. First, more adults than ever are living alone. And second, as a society, we tend to engage less with older adults as they begin to cognitively and physically slow.
Dr. Carr explains further that there is a difference between social and emotional loneliness. The latter she describes as, "The kind of loneliness that could happen while living in a full house." Emotional loneliness occurs when people think older adults don't have much to contribute and therefore don't really get to know them.
What Health Outcomes are Associated with Loneliness and Social Isolation?
When it comes to the health outcomes associated with loneliness and social isolation, Dr. Matz emphasizes that the impacts go beyond expected mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety. Older adults face an increased risk for dementia, cardiovascular disease, and even premature death. To put it in perspective, the negative health effects of social isolation are comparable to the effects of smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.
Connecting Boston's Older and Younger Adults
Recent data show that the population of older adults (age 65+) in Massachusetts accounts for almost twice that of younger adults (age 18 to 24).
Boston, however, is a relatively young city, with a median age of 32.6, driven by the college students and young professionals who call Boston home. Data also show that 15.2% of Boston adults age 18-24 have experienced persistent sadness.
LBFE Boston attempts to bring the city's younger and older residents together through intergenerational programming in partnership with local universities. In addition to the CitySites program, their Digital Dividends program also offers an intergenerational component.
Digital Dividends
Senior Program Manager, Teresa Yao, says this program was started when it become clear during the pandemic that a significant portion of older adults didn't have the internet access or technical skills necessary to connect in a digital world. Digital Dividends aims to advance digital equity by providing older adults with technical lessons determined by their own interests.
Gerri Cummins and Linda Tane are both participants in the Digital Dividends program at Foley Apartments. Their classroom overlooks the Boston Harbor shoreline where college students visit each week to teach them new skills. In March of 2024, they focused on copy and paste shortcuts and saving files online. When asked for her thoughts on the program Gerri says, "Technology is the way the world is going. We might as well join it."
“Technology is the way the world is going. We might as well join it.”
Intergenerational CitySites
CitySites provides a more casual way to connect. Daniel Sobel (left), a Boston College student and CitySites Team Leader for LBFE, explains it is really about the two generations showing each other what they do for fun. He says, “This site loves dominos. And I've grown to love dominos. So oftentimes, we play dominos."
“This site loves dominos. And I've grown to love dominos. So oftentimes, we play dominos."
Those without technical questions spend their time enjoying card games, dominos, listening - and dancing - to light music, and enjoying each others' friendship. Meanwhile, college students are also available to help solve technical problems, whether it be sending a text or taking pictures with their phone.
The Effects of Intergenerational Programming
Building Community from Intergenerational Relationships
Experts, program directors, college students, and older adults alike emphasize that intergenerational relationships offer a unique way to build community. Daniel says, "Connecting with older adults, and people in general, is one of the best things we have." At a time when so many feel disconnected, intergenerational program participants want others to know about the rich relationships they've formed.
Teresa speaks to her thoughts on intergenerational relationships based on her observations managing the Digital Dividends program saying, "I think intergenerational relationships are so often overlooked, but super important to feel like you're with a community."
"I think intergenerational relationships are so often overlooked, but super important to feel like you're with a community."
Exchanging Generational Knowledge
While college students share their knowledge about technology, the latest music, and other modern day trends, the older adults in the program have something to offer as well. It's wisdom.
Dr. Carr say, "A lot of data shows that older adults actually have other forms of intelligence that are superior to younger people. It's things like wisdom, having a big picture outlook, a broader historical view, and greater emotional equanimity."
"A lot of data shows that older adults actually have other forms of intelligence that are superior to younger people. It's things like wisdom, having a big picture outlook, a broader historical view, and greater emotional equanimity."
Damon Zhu, a first-year student at Northeastern University, says he enjoys learning life lessons and hearing about Russian culture from Oleg Volya, an older adult and former Moscow professor. In exchange, Oleg says Damon keeps him young.
Even when it comes to technical knowledge, there are still things students can learn from the older adults. Meredith Jenkins, a co-op student from Northeastern, says, "I learn a lot just from their curiosity and from their questions. We taught a class about artificial intelligence because people wanted to know about it."
Breaking Down Stereotypes on Aging and Older Adults
Many of the college students participating in LBFE Boston’s programs say they didn’t know any older adults, outside their grandparents, before joining the program. Students have been surprised by how much they have in common.
Older adults emphasize that mistaken perceptions on aging can make it harder to connect. Brenda Clark says, "People make assumptions when they hear the word bingo, but we're really different from that stereotype." Across town, Linda and Gerri offer similar sentiments.
Is Intergenerational Programming an Effective Intervention to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation?
Generally speaking, data shows that having adequate social relationships can increase survival rates at a magnitude similar to quitting smoking.
As for data on intergenerational programs specifically, Dr. Matz says the Experience Corp program model is very well studied. With large, national randomized control trials they have found older adults’ health and well-being improve from participating in intergenerational programs.
Qualitatively, LBFE Boston’s program participants express that they feel they have benefited as well. Referring to CitySites, Bree Williams, an 85-year-old grandmother and great-grandmother says, "This is good because it gets you out of the house and around other people so you're not sitting by yourself all the time."
While the benefits of intergenerational programming seem promising, experts say there are a few limitations. Dr. Carr cautions that most interventions don’t result in long term effects. In this case, changes in trusted staff or students could result in setbacks. She also says that programs easily reach the more socially engaged and happy older adults, but "we need to figure out who is falling through the cracks.”
In terms of geographic limitations, Dr. Matz points out that it would be difficult to provide similar services in rural areas. Teresa similarly notes that the program’s reach is limited by its work force and volunteers.
Expanding the Reach of Intergenerational Relationships
The population of older adults will grow in the coming decade, making the search for solutions to disconnection and loneliness all the more urgent. William and the "Brendas" are among those advocating to expand access to programs like the one where they met.
William says that similar opportunities are easy to find. The "Brendas" have even invited him to bingo on Fridays, which anyone can attend. William encourages others to, "just go and have a good time."