Addressing Social Isolation with Nostalgia, the McFlurry Aims to Support Older Adults
For many Americans, visits with Grandma conjure memories of excursions to special places and events, getting to stay up late (don’t tell Mom and Dad!), and indulgent treats like warm cookies dunked in milk. McDonald’s is channeling those warm fuzzies in an effort to tackle the loneliness epidemic with its new Grandma McFlurry soft-serve dessert. McDonald’s will also donate to Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly, a national organization that supports older adults experiencing isolation and loneliness.
Academic research and mental health experts attest to a nation beset by loneliness. A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that more than a one-third of 45-and-older Americans feel lonely and that nearly a quarter of adults 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated. In addition, a recent study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” determined that even before the pandemic, about half of U.S. adults said they were lonely. The report warns that the physical consequences of poor connection can be devastating, including the risk of heart disease heightened by 29%, a 32% rise in stroke incidence, and a 50% increase for older adults’ developing dementia.
“It’s hard to put a price tag, if you will, on the amount of human suffering that people are experiencing right now,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. He said the health risks of loneliness and isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Murthy also told NPR that “you can feel lonely even if you have a lot of people around you, because loneliness is about the quality of your connections.”
Loneliness is age-blind, according to a Meta-Gallup survey of people 15 and older in 142 countries. Released in October 2023, the survey found that 24% of the survey respondents reported feeling very or fairly lonely, CNN noted in an article about the survey. The highest rates of loneliness were in adults 19 to 29 years old, with 27% of them reporting feeling very or fairly lonely.
The Grandma McFlurry
Through its financial generosity and new Grandma McFlurry, McDonald’s is doing its bit to summon that over-the-river-and-through-the-woods nostalgia. Available for a limited time starting May 21, Nation’s Restaurant News reported that the Grandma McFlurry blends syrup, pieces of toffee-like candy and vanilla soft-serve ice cream.
In a news release from McDonald’s, Marcelo Fajnerman, the fast-food giant’s vice president of menu strategy, said the Grandma McFlurry was created by a culinary team member who is a grandmother. “She was relentless in perfecting a deliciously craveable treat meant to evoke special memories with the grandma or the grandma-figure in your life, drawing from her own experiences,” Fajnerman said. Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer, likened the Grandma McFlurry to a “trip down memory lane, and we’re excited to give our fans that experience while honoring the grandma figure in all our lives.”
To complement the Grandma McFlurry’s feel-good vibe, McDonald’s partnered with singer-songwriter Remi Wolf and Latin Grammy nominee Jay Wheeler to perform new versions of classic songs. Wolf covers “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and Wheeler sings “Piel Canela”; both renditions will be available May 21.
The McFlurry-related initiative and concurrent generosity by McDonald’s comes during May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. Several brands, including McDonald’s, have observed the month in creative ways while catering to customers.
Addressing the Loneliness Epidemic
The well-publicized trends in isolation and loneliness have registered with both established brands and start-ups. A Forbes writer asserts that established brands have the platform and resources to ease the loneliness epidemic among young people – and says the move is smart for business and builds goodwill. Companies can do this by partnering with nonprofit organizations, content creators and youth organizations who already are addressing the problem. And they can encourage people to become more social in communications with their customers, and through their media and public relations outreach.
Looking at how investors and entrepreneurs approach loneliness and social isolation, The Wall Street Journal, in March 2024 found an example in Radha Agrawal, co-founder of Belong Center, who calls the nonprofit “a 2.0 community center.” Agrawal, known for co-founding the substance-free, crack-of-dawn rave-throwing company Daybreaker in 2013, told The Journal that Belong Center aims to heal mind, body and soul in a free-spirited way during one-hour sessions that initiate and strengthen connections. She says Belong Center will have a presence in a dozen U.S. cities this year.
The Journal also reported on investors’ backing for two other start-ups with missions of strengthening friendships and creating community. The founders of SoulCycle received $7.2 million in funding from the venture-capital firm Maveron for its Peoplehood wellness center, which leads guided group conversations that are structured to enhance personal relationships. Former Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg raised $4.9 million from investors including Sequoia to develop Meeno, an AI chatbot that helps people practice difficult conversations.
The Journal quoted Maveron partner Natalie Dillon as saying people will spend to meet up and interact. “You already see that with the amount of money people are paying for Tinder premium or Hinge premium,” Dillon says. “People are desperate to find a connection.” She says loneliness will “1,000% be category investors put money into and that companies build.”
Combatting Loneliness
To combat loneliness and isolation, media reports shared the following advice from experts:
- Strengthen communities’ social infrastructure (parks, libraries, public programs and the like) that foster togetherness and interaction.
- At all levels of government, adopt pro-connection policies – for example, easy-access public transportation and paid family leave.
- Mobilize health care providers to address medical needs resulting from loneliness.
- Study, evaluate the effects of and institute remedies for excessive screen time that increases isolation.
- Build and nurture a culture of connection.
- Conduct further research on loneliness and isolation.
- Nurture a culture of connection.
- Call or visit a friend. Make new friends by volunteering, taking a class, joining an organization, etc.
- Go out of your way to talk with others during your daily routine.
