In the days when phone calls were the primary mode of staying connected, I cherished the ritual of starting my day with a call to my mom. Those conversations wrapped me in a warm blanket of comfort, providing a sense of connection that is hard to replicate. While texting has conveniences, it lacks the soothing tone and emotional depth of a real voice.

In 2018, the BBC conducted the world’s most extensive study on loneliness, finding that 40 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds reported feeling lonely. Social neuroscientist John Cacioppo suggests that loneliness motivates people to seek meaningful connections. This accentuates the importance of phone calls, which foster a sense of value and appreciation that text messages often lack.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a study conducted by researchers at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal evaluated the impact of volunteers’ courtesy phone calls. From April to September 2020, over 11,800 calls were made to hospitalized patients. The results were significant: 73.6 per cent of patients felt their needs were met, 64.5 per cent felt less isolated and 40 per cent of volunteers found the calls meaningful.

Another study from the Gerontology Research Centre at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia highlighted that consistent communication, such as phone calls, significantly reduced social isolation and loneliness among older adults, improving their mental health during the pandemic.

A document titled “Eight Minutes to a Happier You: The Call That Can Change Your Day” from the Centre for Interpersonal Relationships in Toronto highlights how a simple, eight-minute phone call to a friend or loved one can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety.

Why not tell friends that if they get a “Do you have eight minutes” message, it may be a call for help? This message is a subtle way of indicating that the sender needs a friendly chat, and it can be a powerful tool in combating loneliness and fostering connections.

Numerous organizations offer this service for people seeking the warmth and connection of a phone call. Here are a few that stand out:

The Pair Program (418 688-1511): This daily telephone reassurance service provides seniors and people living alone a greater sense of security. Each day, members receive a phone call at a pre-scheduled time, and if they do not respond after three attempts, an alert is sent to their emergency contacts.

Centre d’Action Bénévole de Québec (418 681-3501): This centre offers various programs to connect volunteers with seniors and people in need. They often organize friendly phone call initiatives to provide companionship and support.