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In Spain, more than 3 million older people suffer from loneliness. A traumatic reality that in recent years has been intensified by a silent shift in the way we communicate. Phone calls are disappearing, replaced by instant messaging and social media.
This new communication ecosystem has left many older people out of the conversation. For them, the phone call remains the main, and often the only, way to stay connected with loved ones.
Working alongside psychologists, we identified the strong emotional value of phone calls for older people. In moments of distress or sadness, a call creates an immediate perception of support and helps reduce anxiety and emotional strain.
On behalf of Blanca, Javier, Josep, Teresa, and millions of older people like them, we brought back an almost vanished icon from the Spanish urban landscape: the telephone booth. A symbol used to make a historic call, with 3 million older people on one side and an entire country on the other.
The Call of Loneliness, transformed into a listening installation, allowed the silent cry for help of those experiencing loneliness to be heard. By picking up the phone, people listened to first-person testimonies that revealed what it truly means to live in loneliness. Participants were also invited to record a message of support in their own voice. Through the Always Accompanied program, these messages reached older people living in solitude across the country.
The experience not only created a genuine connection between older people and society. It also restored the value of something as simple, and as meaningful, as calling our elders.