In today’s polarized world, there’s one thing we can all agree on: humans crave connection and happiness. At Matter, we study the science of happiness and use those insights to help people build emotional fitness and enjoy stronger relationships.
That simple belief inspired The Party Line, a social experiment exploring what happens when strangers from opposite ends of the political spectrum have the opportunity to simply pick up a phone and talk.
The Party Line became the first in a series of social experiments exploring how genuine human connection can bridge perceived divides. Rather than focusing on differences or hostile online discourse, this project was designed to create space for curiosity, empathy, and meaningful conversation. Using two vintage payphones re-programmed to only call each other, we opened the line of communication between people in very different places – not to change minds, but to touch hearts.
From a neuroscience perspective, the experiment was designed to promote cannabinoids over cortisol, our primary stress hormone that literally blocks our positive emotions. Cannabinoids, on the other hand, are our brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters that create the feeling of friendship (in combination with dopamine). They’re the molecular building blocks of community, and they can be boosted through a friendly interaction with a stranger.
The First Party Line
For the first installation, we connected people in the overwhelmingly conservative town of Abilene, Texas with folks in the liberal city of San Francisco, California. The locations were selected based on 2024 presidential election data to represent communities with distinctly different political identities. The question became, despite those differences, would callers choose to find common ground?
Our findings might surprise you. About 80% of the conversations were positive, showing that people tend to search for connection when speaking to a stranger over the phone. While some conversations stayed at a surface level, others delved into personal stories or even discussions of values. The most common word mentioned? Love.
Expanding the experiment
The success of The Party Line inspired us to continue bridging other perceived divides.
Our second version connected two generations, Boomers and Gen-Zers, both of which experience a high level of loneliness. We installed one phone on the campus of Boston University and the other in a senior living complex in Reno, Nevada, allowing young people to connect with older people.
The most recent iteration of this experiment explored the socioeconomic divide between people in two areas of Los Angeles: one phone was installed in Watts and the other on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. These two locations have vastly different socioeconomic profiles.
While each installation explored a different divide, the outcome remained consistent: people were far more interested in finding common ground than differences. It turns out, connection could be just a phone call away.
Continuing the conversation
Later this year, we’re excited to continue The Party Line in partnership with the National Governors Association, bringing the project to new cities as part of a broader exploration of well-being, dignity, and connection. Stay tuned for updates.
If you’d like to learn more, you can find our media coverage in outlets including the LA Times, The New York Times, NPR’s WBUR, and UpWorthy.
To follow along with this and other experiments follow @matterneuroscience on Instagram.