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, hosted the 2021 Age Boom Academy: "Combating Loneliness in Aging: Toward a 21st Century Blueprint for Societal Connectedness" online. You may view all the recorded sessions and learn about our 2021 fellows and speakers here. If you are an on staff journalist, we welcome your application to join us for future Academies. Please contact us at ColumbiaAgingCenter@cumc.columbia.edu.
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 aging issues.
Why the topic of loneliness in 2021? 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. Following the Covid-19 lockdowns and social isolation policies, everyone can now related to the consequences of loss of connections.
Prior to the pandemic, rates were 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 learned about the causes and envisioned potential solutions by interviewing assembled scientists and experts. Fellows also participated in story clinics led by researchers and senior journalists, having their story ideas critiqued by researchers and potential sources. Simultaneously, researchers learnrf how to communicate more effectively with journalists.
Our speakers included Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH; Louise Hawkley, PhD; Tom Kamber, PhD; and Becca Levy, PhD; as well as many others. The training included 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).
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, hosted the 2021 Age Boom Academy: "Combating Loneliness in Aging: Toward a 21st Century Blueprint for Societal Connectedness" online. You may view all the recorded sessions and learn about our 2021 fellows and speakers here. If you are an on staff journalist, we welcome your application to join us for future Academies. Please contact us at ColumbiaAgingCenter@cumc.columbia.edu.
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 aging issues.
Why the topic of loneliness in 2021? 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. Following the Covid-19 lockdowns and social isolation policies, everyone can now related to the consequences of loss of connections.
Prior to the pandemic, rates were 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 learned about the causes and envisioned potential solutions by interviewing assembled scientists and experts. Fellows also participated in story clinics led by researchers and senior journalists, having their story ideas critiqued by researchers and potential sources. Simultaneously, researchers learnrf how to communicate more effectively with journalists.
Our speakers included Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH; Louise Hawkley, PhD; Tom Kamber, PhD; and Becca Levy, PhD; as well as many others. The training included 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).
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.