Danielle Kennedy is a psychologist from Queensland, and in 2024, she researched intergenerational friendships through the University of the Sunshine Coast.
But Danielle Kennedy says her research suggests intergenerational friendships can help to reduce age-based discrimination in both directions, while offering other benefits too.
"Basically, we found that intergenerational friendships contributed to healthy development and wellbeing in both younger and older adults," she told triple j hack this week.
Tia is 32, and says when she moved from Sydney to smaller coastal communities near Coffs Harbour, she found friendships with people decades older.
I think it's such an important wealth of knowledge that is a little bit untapped these days.
Zein, 18, says friendships between older and younger people are less likely in Arabic culture.
"I think that happens to many older people, that they feel younger inside than their birth certificate shows," Clive says. »