What difference does it make to a befriending service that it's delivered by telephone?

What is it about?

Telephone befriending is often considered a good solution to loneliness in older people. But how is it different from face-to-face befriending? This article moves beyond questions of whether it's better or worse. Based on a research project into a telephone befriending service, first it breaks down telephone communication into its constituent parts. For example, traditional telephone communication is voice-based, has no visual element and enables people to reach others who aren't geographically close. And then the article looks at how these characteristics make it appealing and useful to some lonely people but less so to others.

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Why is it important?

Loneliness matters. Large numbers of older people suffer from it and it's effect on health has been compared to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. How to solve it is therefore a hot topic. Befriending is a go-to solution and telephone befriending increasingly so. But does it work? This article argues that it does for some but understanding who and how is helped by unpacking what telephone communication means in practice. The fact it is voice based, for example, makes it appealing to those who shy away from visual forms of communication. The fact that it enables people to reach others who live a long way away helps people who find it difficult to make friends locally. Tackling the subject in this way means the findings can be applied to other newer technologies such as smartphone-based visual communication and internet-based voice communication.