We’re Living Longer But Getting Lonelier. Here’s What Can Help

Loneliness has become one of the chronic, debilitating issues of modern life. It can increase the risk of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke, as well as depression and anxiety. While it can affect people of all ages, those over 65 are the most vulnerable, as they step out of jobs and careers, lose spouses to divorce or death, and deal with families that have dispersed to other parts of the country or world.

In the era of longevity, how will people find ways to have social connections for longer, healthier lives?

Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, oversees the longest in-depth study of physical and mental well-being among adults. It has tracked hundreds of young adults from 1938 into their 80s. In an interview in the Harvard Gazette, Waldinger reported that satisfaction in relationships, particularly in marriages, was the best predictor of a happy and healthy life. He went on to say that the best data-backed hypothesis suggests that our relationships help us regulate stress. What he calls “social fitness” is as important as physical fitness and well-being when it comes to longevity. Waldinger also points out that new relationships can start at any age, as our social life is a living system that relies on maintenance and ongoing cultivation. People at 70, 80, or older can make new friends of all ages. And in the future of the 100-year life, a new friendship at 70 could last thirty years.

As we all live longer, the risk of loneliness and social isolation is poised to become an even bigger issue. While it’s important for researchers, doctors, sociologists, psychologists, the media, and others to highlight the concerns, where are the action plans to fix the problem?

Fortunately, there are initiatives around the world, fueled by organizations, nonprofits, local governments, and individuals, that are driving innovative approaches that will help those living longer lives. The efforts range from promoting multigenerational relationships to using new kinds of community groups, unique grassroots programs, and emerging technology to reduce loneliness.

Communities of all kinds

In the city of Miami, Michael Roman is the community partnerships manager. He, along with others, led an initiative called EMPOWER60, which is designed to get people over 60 more involved in civic engagement. “We bring people together to teach them about their local government and then tap into them for what are they most passionate about, creating a civic engagement plan for them,” he says. 

Similar efforts have arisen around the country. For example, Seattle has created the Social Connectivity Learning Network for older adults to learn, share ideas, and collaborate for the betterment of their community, and Baltimore has created the Mayor’s Office of Older Adults Affairs and Advocacy to include older adults to advise city leaders on how to make the community more age friendly. The Village to Village Network is a nonprofit that helps neighbors work together to allow aging at home, building community connections so people can lean on each other for friendship and support. The goal of Mirabella at Arizona State University is to foster intergenerational connections and community as part of everyday life.

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There are also approaches to building community that emphasize family and the value of pursuing multigenerational relationships. When my mother was in her mid-80s, she moved into an independent living complex near our family home. An active global traveler and someone who enjoyed being social with people of all ages, it took her only a few weeks to assess her new surroundings. “There are too many old people here who only talk about the past and complain about their aches and pains,” she said to my brother Joe. 

While she had her children and grandchildren nearby, giving her exposure to multiple generations, many of her new neighbors weren’t as fortunate. Many traditional independent living complexes, nursing homes, and age-restricted environments limit interactions to people who are the same age. This can exacerbate loneliness. How can we find new models and approaches to force change on the nursing home industry? Age segregation isn’t healthy for anyone.

CoGenerate is an organization committed to bridging generational divides to co-create the future. “The research shows that there is a complementarity of the assets of generations,” says co-CEO Marc Freedman. “I think this deep emotional longing to connect across generational lines to get a sense of the wholeness of life is very real.” CoGenerate has given grants to multiple organizations that are working with people of all ages to find common ground and solutions.

In a 2025 report titled Can Intergenerational Connection Heal Us?, CoGenerate highlighted the critical role community organizations play in bringing generations together to reduce social isolation and loneliness. The report is a rich compendium on how small and hyper-local organizations are bringing older and younger people together for friendship, learning, collaboration, joy, and healing, listing more than 150 organizations committed to the idea. Examples include Mamaw Mentorship, a group in Central Appalachia to bring older women and girls in junior high school together to learn from each other. Hey Auntie! is a relationship-building service and community connecting Black women across all ages and life stages to build networks of friendships to help women thrive at home, at work, and in life. And the Koreatown Storytelling Program in Los Angeles is designed to connect high school students and older people to tell their stories to each other and record them for their community.

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Building connections through technology

While in-person connections are considered the best way to foster community, technology in all of its forms will become more and more relevant in the future. The solutions are already happening around the world in ways that will only accelerate thanks to AI. Social-connection platforms designed to build generational connections are popping up, like  Eldera, which connects younger people and older adults for shared experiences to create ongoing relationships, ensuring that conversations remain safe and supportive through the use of an AI chaperone. Virtual reality and digital excursions also  offer immersive experiences in travel and entertainment. Mynd Immersive, for example, provides curated VR experiences for seniors, while Wowzitude livestreams interactive walking tours of cities around the world. It’s all a way for aging populations to combat loneliness, especially since many of the experiences are done in group settings.

We’re only at the beginning of how technology and AI will assist the community of caregivers. Robotics will be the next big frontier to create digital companions for all of us. While the idea seems daunting and provocative to some, there are AI-infused solutions that are already seeing positive results.

ElliQ is an AI care companion robot already in the marketplace as a tool to promote independence and healthy living. Launched in the U.S. in 2022, it is primarily distributed to individuals by non-profits, health plans, and governments at the state and county level to improve quality of  life. An interactive desktop device that accumulates knowledge and behavior from interactions with a human, it is leading the way for the next generation of community. “While ElliQ is designed for people in their 60s or older, it’s not about age, but rather about addressing loneliness,” says Assaf Gad, vice president at the company. “We have users from their 40s to our oldest user who is 103 years old.” 

Although loneliness and isolation are major problems faced by many older adults, there are solutions. Technology and AI will certainly help, but it will take more than that. In the longevity nation, the key is to find ways that work for everyone, regardless of who they are and where they live. As more and more people begin living to 100 or older, we’ll need more support from governments, nonprofits, public-private partnerships, venture capital, and entrepreneurs to think about future solutions that will benefit everyone.

This excerpt was adapted from Longevity Nation by Michael Clinton with permission from Atria Books/Beyond Words.