{"id":5529,"date":"2019-05-03T06:31:37","date_gmt":"2019-05-03T10:31:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.silvercentury.org\/?p=5529"},"modified":"2019-05-03T06:31:37","modified_gmt":"2019-05-03T10:31:37","slug":"breaking-the-age-barrier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/78.142.243.82\/~silvercentury\/2019\/05\/breaking-the-age-barrier\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking the Age Barrier"},"content":{"rendered":"

Art Russell, 60, counts at least a dozen 20-somethings as friends: the guys he fences with; a 26-year-old colleague at work; and several people who attend his church. Although he also has many friends his own age, Russell values those younger ones.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey have a fresh perspective that reminds me to stay enthusiastic about life,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Russell\u2019s social circle is unusual. <\/span><\/p>\n

According to a 2017 report by Generations United and the Eisner Foundation, most Americans rarely have meaningful interactions or conversations with others (not family members) who are 20 or more years younger or older. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIntergenerational friendships are the exception rather than the rule: for the most part, age segregation prevails,\u201d the report concluded. <\/span><\/p>\n

Most of us live in age bubbles. People tend to socialize within their own age groups at work or in school. Families with young children flock to kid-friendly neighborhoods; young adults head to apartments and condos in trendy locations; older adults whose children have grown gravitate to retirement communities. <\/span><\/p>\n

Even multigenerational settings\u2014such as churches, synagogues or community centers\u2014tend to tailor programming by age: a yoga class for seniors; a Bible study for young adults; a science camp for kids. As a result, most of us have few opportunities to make friends with people outside of our own age groups. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll of this is counter to what we know about what people need to thrive developmentally,\u201d according to Eunice Lin Nichols, vice president at Encore.org and director of Gen2Gen, a campaign to encourage intergenerational connections. \u201cExperts agree that age segregation contributes to social isolation and can reinforce stereotypes and perpetuate ageism.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Friendship Transcends Age<\/b><\/p>\n

When Mary Ann Eaton, 91, broke her hip in early 2018, she hired Diane Cannon, 60, to drive her around and to help with chores while she recovered. The two women became fast friends; now they talk by phone at least once a day and get together often. The 31-year age difference seems irrelevant. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very easy to talk to Diane,\u201d Eaton said. \u201cWe have the same sense of humor, we both love animals and we\u2019re both hard workers.\u201d (One of Eaton\u2019s first requests was for Cannon to drive her to a class to keep her real estate license up to date.) <\/span><\/p>\n

If more older people made younger friends, experts believe that could help address a number of concerns related to the aging of the US population. Intergenerational friendships might counteract the \u201cloneliness epidemic\u201d that was identified in a 2018 Cigna survey of more than 20,000 Americans over age 18. Nearly half of respondents reported sometimes or always feeling alone (46 percent) or left out (47 percent).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026millennials are awesome. Almost none of the young people I know fit the stereotypes.<\/b><\/p>\n

— Art Russell, age 60<\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Older people tend to stay healthier, both physically and cognitively, when they have strong social connections. (One study showed that loneliness has an impact on mortality similar to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.) Also, when elders nurture friendships with younger people, it helps assure that those who live into their 80s and 90s can maintain a vibrant social life even if they outlive their peers.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span>Another advantage: intergenerational friendships promote mutual learning and enrichment and dispel ageist stereotypes. Even though he works in tech himself, Art Russell\u2019s younger friends have tipped him on a couple of useful smartphone apps that he uses every day. When asked, he\u2019s been able to offer them advice on relationships and careers. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think millennials are awesome,\u201d he said. \u201cAlmost none of the young people I know fit the stereotypes.\u201d  <\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a common side effect of intergenerational friendships\u2014ageist stereotypes are quickly contradicted. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we get isolated by generation, we only talk about what\u2019s relevant to our own generation,\u201d said Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United. \u201cWe are richer and more able to look beyond our immediate concerns when we\u2019re engaged with people in other age groups. To really slow down and listen\u2014that\u2019s how we share our humanity with each other.\u201d  <\/span><\/p>\n

Friends Gone Viral<\/b><\/p>\n

A man in New Jersey befriended a woman in Florida by way of Words with Friends, an online game. Normally, that wouldn\u2019t make the news. But in this case, the man is a 22-year-old African American rapper and the woman is an 81-year-old white retiree. A <\/span>photo of their first meet-up<\/a> went viral<\/span> on social media, and the story made the <\/span>New York Times <\/span><\/i>in 2017. <\/span><\/p>\n

What would it take to make friendships like this more common, rather than a newsworthy rarity? A number of initiatives are connecting older and younger people: <\/span><\/p>\n