Age Boom Academy 2021 "Combating Loneliness in Aging: Toward a 21st Century Blueprint for Societal Connectedness"
The Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center and the Columbia School of Journalism, will host the 2021 Age Boom Academy: "Combating Loneliness in Aging: Toward a 21st Century Blueprint for Societal Connectedness" online. If you are an on staff journalist, we welcome your application to join us for the 2021 Academy. Sessions are Thursday, May 6 (5:30-7pm ET); Friday, May 7 (9am-noon ET); Monday, May 10, 9am-noon ET; and Friday, June 11, (9am-1pm ET).
A selective process identifies Fellows who will then come together with researchers for an intensive multi-session workshop to learn how to effectively translate science into accessible reporting on the complex issues of the effects of loneliness and social isolation on health and in aging.
Why loneliness? There is evidence that loneliness has been escalating substantially and has emerged as a distinctly 21st century issue because for much of the latter part of the 20th century, we designed loneliness into our society. In the U.S. in the 1970s, 11-17% of Americans of middle age and older reported being lonely; in 2010 that had risen to 40%. And today? A majority, or three in five Americans, reported feeling lonely in 2019.
The rates are high and rising in each age group starting with adolescents. The reasons for loneliness vary by age group, but many of the reasons in aging are socially constructed: age-segregation, ageism, disconnection both within and across generations, exacerbated by the geographic dispersion of families. Loneliness is a painful subjective experience that has severe health, economic, and societal consequences. Our longer lives, our changing work environments, technology all contribute to loneliness at older ages.
So, what if we could design loneliness out? What would the blueprint for societal connectedness be to combat loneliness in aging?
During the Academy, journalist Fellows will learn about the causes and envision through sources the solutions by interviewing assembled scientists and experts, participating in story clinics led by researchers and senior journalists, having their story ideas critiqued by researchers and potential sources. Simultaneously, researchers will learn how to communicate more effectively with journalists.
Our speakers include Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH; Louise Hawkley, PhD; Tom Kamber, PhD; and Becca Levy, PhD; as well as many others. The training will include story clinics and breakouts with Bruce Shapiro, trainers from Solutions Journalism, and senior press members Rodney Brooks (formerly of the Washington Post), Rich Eisenberg (NextAvenue), Chris Farrell (Marketplace), Kerry Hannon (New York Times contributor), and Carol Hymowitz (formerly of Bloomberg News).
By the end of the Academy, Fellows will have covered the latest research concerning social isolation and loneliness in aging.
The Age Boom Academy is funded by a generous grant from the RRF Foundation on Aging with additional support from the AARP Foundation. There is no cost for selected Fellows to participate.
For more information please contact Caitlin M. Hawke, Senior Science and Strategy Officer, Columbia Aging Center: cmh2197@cumc.columbia.edu.
The Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center and the Columbia School of Journalism, will host the 2021 Age Boom Academy: "Combating Loneliness in Aging: Toward a 21st Century Blueprint for Societal Connectedness" online. If you are an on staff journalist, we welcome your application to join us for the 2021 Academy. Sessions are Thursday, May 6 (5:30-7pm ET); Friday, May 7 (9am-noon ET); Monday, May 10, 9am-noon ET; and Friday, June 11, (9am-1pm ET).
A selective process identifies Fellows who will then come together with researchers for an intensive multi-session workshop to learn how to effectively translate science into accessible reporting on the complex issues of the effects of loneliness and social isolation on health and in aging.
Why loneliness? There is evidence that loneliness has been escalating substantially and has emerged as a distinctly 21st century issue because for much of the latter part of the 20th century, we designed loneliness into our society. In the U.S. in the 1970s, 11-17% of Americans of middle age and older reported being lonely; in 2010 that had risen to 40%. And today? A majority, or three in five Americans, reported feeling lonely in 2019.
The rates are high and rising in each age group starting with adolescents. The reasons for loneliness vary by age group, but many of the reasons in aging are socially constructed: age-segregation, ageism, disconnection both within and across generations, exacerbated by the geographic dispersion of families. Loneliness is a painful subjective experience that has severe health, economic, and societal consequences. Our longer lives, our changing work environments, technology all contribute to loneliness at older ages.
So, what if we could design loneliness out? What would the blueprint for societal connectedness be to combat loneliness in aging?
During the Academy, journalist Fellows will learn about the causes and envision through sources the solutions by interviewing assembled scientists and experts, participating in story clinics led by researchers and senior journalists, having their story ideas critiqued by researchers and potential sources. Simultaneously, researchers will learn how to communicate more effectively with journalists.
Our speakers include Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH; Louise Hawkley, PhD; Tom Kamber, PhD; and Becca Levy, PhD; as well as many others. The training will include story clinics and breakouts with Bruce Shapiro, trainers from Solutions Journalism, and senior press members Rodney Brooks (formerly of the Washington Post), Rich Eisenberg (NextAvenue), Chris Farrell (Marketplace), Kerry Hannon (New York Times contributor), and Carol Hymowitz (formerly of Bloomberg News).
By the end of the Academy, Fellows will have covered the latest research concerning social isolation and loneliness in aging.
The Age Boom Academy is funded by a generous grant from the RRF Foundation on Aging with additional support from the AARP Foundation. There is no cost for selected Fellows to participate.
For more information please contact Caitlin M. Hawke, Senior Science and Strategy Officer, Columbia Aging Center: cmh2197@cumc.columbia.edu.
