A study from the University of Texas at Austin found that during COVID-19 lockdowns, a simple phone call to 240 seniors over four weeks measurably reduced depression rates. Can something as simple as a phone call meaningfully ease senior loneliness? The data that Ooma collected shows that a phone call can mean the world to a senior. It’s a simple act with outsized mental and physical health benefits for older adults.

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The team created a helpful map that also highlights key findings from their study. Here are a few of the most important figures:

• 1 in 3 adults aged 50 to 80 (34%) report feeling isolated.
• 77% of seniors with poor mental health report feeling isolated compared to only 29% of seniors with better mental health.
• 7% of American adults over 65 have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder.
• The map shows a wide variation in seniors reporting 14 or more poor mental health days, with a range of 5.5% among North Dakota seniors to 12.7% of West Virginia seniors.

Their data also shows that isolation is a health crisis, more dangerous than a simple mood problem. When people feel isolated, their mortality risk is comparable to that of people who are obese, inactive, or who smoke regularly. Isolated seniors have a 50% higher risk of dementia. There are nearly quadruple the death risk odds for heart failure patients who are isolated, and a 68% higher hospitalization risk. Isolated seniors are also at a 32% higher stroke risk and a 28% higher hearing loss risk. Rural seniors are the most vulnerable due to limited Internet access, transportation barriers, and a cultural stigma around expressing loneliness.

The dangers of loneliness are clear, and luckily, there are clear solutions. UT Austin’s empathetic phone call program created rapid drops in depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Weekly phone calls could improve mental health and even cognitive functioning. A 2024 telehealth study showed that both phone and video calls can have these effects.

The Ooma team also provided helpful tips that can help people spot signs of loneliness in their loved ones. If their social behavior changes, that’s a warning. This could look like withdrawal, dwelling on the past, canceled planes, and drawn-out conversations. Cognitive issues are another major red flag, like forgetfulness, trouble concentrating, and less engagement. If a senior’s sleep or appetite changes, they have persistently low energy, neglect their hygiene, or develop an unexplained ailment, this could also signal loneliness.

If you want to help fight the senior loneliness crisis, you could volunteer with the Institute on Aging’s Friendship Line, LBFE, or DOROT. Local assisted living communities might have an adopt-a-grandparent program. Volunteering for Meals on Wheels not only provides seniors with food but also offers a chance to socialize and conduct safety checks. If you are short on time, simply pick up the phone and call an elderly neighbor or relative. This study makes it clear that it’s a powerful act of kindness.

AI is embedded in workplaces worldwide by this point, and yet workers’ feelings about it vary dramatically. A study by Qualtrics examined how geography was related to feelings about AI in the workplace. They found that only 37% of workers globally believed that AI would improve their jobs. That average hides a 45-point difference between the most optimistic country, which is China, and the most skeptical, Japan.

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Nearly 80% of global companies report using AI in some capacity, and research indicates productivity gains, with lower-skilled workers benefiting the most. Even if this is the case, employee sentiment isn’t nearly as unified. The numbers the team shows here indicate a healthy level of AI skepticism. In fact, more than half of workers think AI will improve their lives in just 6 out of 32 countries studied. That means there are more skeptics than people excited about what AI will bring to the workplace. But why does optimism cluster in some regions while most remain skeptical?

Here are a few of the countries where optimism runs high:

• China – 62% of workers are optimistic
• Indonesia – 59%
• Peru – 57%
• South Africa – 53%
• Thailand – 52%

There is a mid-tier region with fewer optimistic workers, but still a healthy percentage. This includes Mexico, Brazil, India, Colombia, and Malaysia. Many of these countries have developing economies or a heavy state investment in AI infrastructure, as is the case in China. Workers in these places view AI as a tool to close skill gaps, raise wages, and improve living standards. These regional differences are easy to spot thanks to the map Qualtrics created, which color codes the level of optimism/skepticism.

At the other end of the spectrum, we find the highest number of skeptics in Western Europe and English-speaking countries. Here are the countries with the least faith in AI:

• United States – 31% of workers are optimistic
• Australia – 29%
• Great Britain – 26%
• Canada – 24%
• Japan – 17%
• Poland – 21%

The media narratives in these countries frame AI as a risk of automation-driven job loss, which shapes people’s perceptions even when AI adoption in their workplaces is the same as in optimistic locations. These nations are the same that rank lowest on the belief that AI will improve the job market.

Economic research suggests that AI tends to reshuffle tasks within a role rather than eliminate that job outright. New skills will be required to work with AI, and some positions will shift, but historically, new digital tools have created more roles than they’ve erased. The gap between the hard data and public sentiment in skeptical countries is definitely worth examining and tells a story.

As AI rolls out unevenly across the world’s workforce, it’s important for employers to understand where their employees actually stand on the issue. Beyond regional stereotypes or headline-driven assumptions, employers must look at facts like the data presented here to make thoughtful AI adoption decisions.

Moving consistently ranks among life’s most stressful experiences, behind only divorce and the death of a loved one. This difficulty isn’t even distributed by location. Some cities make a renter’s move dramatically more difficult than others. Rove Lab’s analysis of 55 major U.S. metro areas, scored across 13 factors including population density, rental housing, transportation, and weather, shows which cities make moving a logistical nightmare.

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The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area is the most difficult one to move from, with a score of 77.16. There are several reasons it’s so difficult. For one, it has the highest population density in the country, at 3,247.7 people per square mile. It also has the lowest renter turnover at 19.7%, indicating fierce competition for available units. 57.2% of rental properties are large buildings with more than 10 units, and the median building age is 65. This means these older buildings have narrow stairwells, slow elevators, and tight corners, a nightmare on moving day. On top of this, the transit density at peak hours is 212 vehicles per square mile. Trying to move out of an older building with narrow hallways, busy stairs and elevators, and limited street parking is truly challenging.

Move-in difficulty varies widely by city. Los Angeles isn’t the densest city, but it has the worst traffic congestion in the country, with 7 hours and 49 minutes of traffic per weekday, due to urban sprawl and car dependence in the region. Washington, D.C. has the oldest housing units, making it more challenging to navigate furniture on move-in day, especially in dense transit corridors. San Francisco and Chicago are mid-density metros with older buildings and a high number of large buildings with many units, driving up the scores. Boston and Seattle round out the top of the most difficult cities, thanks to lots of snow in Boston and tons of rainy days in Seattle, which make moving in more difficult.

Thankfully, the team’s data also shows that not every city is a move-in nightmare. Austin is a standout city with the highest renter turnover in the country. A pandemic-era construction boom created an oversupply of new, modern housing units, which led landlords to offer move-in incentives and upgrades. Fresno, Riverside-San Bernardino, and Birmingham all offer easier moves thanks to a low population density, newer rental stock, and less traffic. The weather’s role shouldn’t be overlooked. Rochester, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh all have lots of snowy and rainy days, which can really put a literal and figurative damper on moving day.

The Rove Lab team’s work reframes the question of which cities are best and worst to live in through a specific, practical lens. Your housing is one of the most important parts of your life in a new city, and finding the best rental and having a good move-in experience will set the tone for a new start. Wherever you’re headed, knowing what you’re walking into can help you have the best experience.